Nine Feet Underground

I've just written 'Lockdown Diary' for the umpteenth time and thought 'I'm bored of this title'.  I feel like we're in limbo now, half in, half out (limbo seemingly the most apposite word for my life in general) of lockdown, but as I've gradually started doing things and going out, though still limited in ways, I'm feeling it's time for the title to change.  I'm going to experiment with the title, starting with 'Tales From The Crypt' from tomorrow, and if I feel that fits, I'll stick with it. If not, there may a few others adopted until I find one that works for me. Quiet start to the day as I am the only one up and probably will be for some time yet. I don't actually know what I've done with the time today: I made the compilation CD I was working on and did all the bits that go with it, cover, track listing/commentary etc, but that didn't take all day. My sons (that are here) started emerging around 4 p.m. and so I de...

Saturday at last. Seemed a long time coming this week, dunno why. Shopping with son #2, followed by breakfast at home.  I'm off to a picnic in a park in town with some friends from book club: it's the last chance to see the couple getting married next weekend so it's an opportunity to give them a card and catch up before they depart to work and live in Denmark.   The weather is good-ish which means I've managed to get three wash loads done and hung out before I'm off out. Just returned from a very enjoyable picnic in King's Road Gardens.  In all the years I've lived here I've never been in these gardens, though I've driven past them countless times.  In the end there were seven of us in attendance, which wasn't bad for an event arranged at short notice on a Saturday afternoon.  I got home around half-four and, despite having indulged in some wine, decided I needed to go for a walk. Hit my walking target for the day and the week, ready for whateve...

Work dominates the day from the off: I have to do some work for the course I'm on, primarily because my team mates have not.  It's raining out, which means I'm deferring walking until later in the day. Work dominates... I have a brief early morning interlude in the course while I grab some Killing Joke tickets for next year which went on sale at 10:00. Success! Another gig booked Back to work... It's been a long day and it's gone 5 p.m., so I'm bringing work to a close. Before I drink wine I'm off for a walk with son #2, who kindly agrees to accompany me.  I must confess if he hadn't agreed to join me the lure of the wine might have won out over the walk. Back from the walk and glad to have done it, but now I can open the wine with a clear conscience. Just as we entered the door my wife's PEG pump started bleeping. The feed is empty.  We've switched to a new feed which is lower in calories but higher in fibre, the only difference being she needs ...

Work again but emboldened by a good night out last night.  Walked early, as usual, though maybe a bit earlier due to the cleaner's usual crack of dawn appearance. Work dominates the day, until finally the hour approaches for the Idler drinks. Tonight's guest is Viv Groskop who is a writer and comedian (amongst other things) who will be talking about life lessons that can be learned from French literature and all things French. Well that was fun! Even more books I need to read, but I particularly pick up on 'Bonjour Tristesse' by Francoise Sagan as one I need to add to my list.  I stuck around for the post-talk chat, but son #2 had made dinner so I had to depart before I'd got fully involved. Son #3 is out tonight, so he ate early, son #1 is still staying with his gf and son #2 is on a video call with his gf, which meant I watched TV on my own. On the plus side it meant I could choose what I watched, and I chose a music documentary about Rockfield Studios near Monmou...

Back to work and back on my training course, as a consequence I'll probably not have much to say here. Work Work Work Finished work around 6 p.m. as I'm going out tonight.  I've got to get changed and smartened up as I'm going out for a meal with a new friend. Who knows how it will go? The start of something or the end of something? My carriage arrives at twenty to seven and off we head for town. We've agreed to meet outside the restaurant as it's much easier that way. Home now after an enjoyable evening out. Great meal and great company. At the end of the evening we both agreed we'd like to see each other again, though sometimes in the cold light of the next day things change. We shall see. Off to bed now, mind ablaze, hopefully reading will tire my brain out as it's been quite a long day. Celeste / 'Tell Me Something I Don't Know' / 'Not Your Muse'  [[]]

A well-deserved (?) day off from work and extension of my birthday / father's day weekend. I could get used to not working. The big challenge is to use the time well, though of course rest is a benefit in itself. I'm going out on Wednesday evening, and after a question from one of my sons at the weekend, I have resurrected a jacket I'd forgotten about. Resurrection by way of washing.  Just to cover all bases I've also ordered a new black Harrington jacket - it should arrive tomorrow ahead of my assignation, but if it doesn't I have the Oakley jacket to fall back on. Breakfast eaten, time for a call with a friend in Berlin. It's always good to catch up with him, both for a perspective on the UK from the outside and also to see how things are going Germany. Late morning, call complete,  I ripped all the albums that I received at the weekend, then tagged them ready for conversion to MP3s for use in the car.  Tedious but necessary. After lunch I watched a talk on ...

I'm coming round to the idea that this blog should become 'Tales From The Crypt' (capitalisation intentional).  It appeals to me on a number of levels, not least of which being the darker element of my sense of humour.  I also like it because it reminds me of the (slight) tongue twister, 'The cat crept into the crypt, crapped, and crept out again', which I find far more amusing than I probably should. Little things... Off at around 9:30 a.m. to my first in-person yoga class in eons.   Back from yoga: it's great to be doing it with people (and yoga).  I was made very welcome by some familiar friendly faces, which warmed the cockles.  One of the yoginis is particularly enlivening and she seems pleased to see me. British Gas are here to fix our central heating problem and the guy is very pleasant. I express solidarity with the engineers in the way they have been treated by their management.  He arrived whilst I was on my way back from yoga and son #2 has ...

A quiet start to father's Day: I've only seen son #3, so far. He did wish me a 'Happy Father's Day!' but I imagine they will all want to do cards etc together, so it does depend when the twins emerge. (Sounds like something I might have said many years ago, though their route will be different today) It may be father's day, but I still have chores to do, most notably and with tedious regularity, washing. Found time to read the Sunday paper, after which son #3 and I made lunch.  Still no sign of the others... After lunch I watched documentary about Aubrey Beardsley and then listened to the first of my birthday CDs, namely the new album by Wolf Alice, followed by a bit of Dry Cleaning's debut album. There are signs of life and when I venture upstairs I see everyone is now up.  After some negotiation son #1 agrees to come for a walk with me and will do the 'father's day ceremony' on our return. Tonight we'll be having curry and watching a film: ...

It's my birthday today (is that worthy of a 'yay'? Not sure, as I'm a year older, well, OK, a day older strictly speaking, and acutely aware that 18 months of my life has been lost to the pandemic, when I should have been out there making big changes) but it is also Saturday, so the usual chores still have to be done, starting with shopping accompanied by son #1. [Note to self: next year, maybe I should plan in advance to have no shitty chores to do, though it will be on a Sunday and presumably coincide with Father's Day.  Mind you, next year 'Ulysses' will be 100, and the place will be Dublin for Bloomsday week. Can I arrange that?] Shopping all stowed away, son #1 and I sat and ate breakfast together, briefly visited by son #3, though son #2 is still in his pit and, no doubt, son #1 will be returning to bed, once his breakfast has settled. Around 1:30 p.m., whilst son #3 and I were making lunch, my elder sister called to wish me a happy birthday and have a...

Back to work! Today would have been mum's 93rd birthday, on what is seemingly the wettest day of 2021, so far. I don't believe there is any connection between these two facts.  It hasn't stopped raining since I got up at 6:15 a.m. and doesn't look like it's going to. Work will dominate, beginning with the second of this weeks sessions of the leadership training course I am on. One of the outcomes of this course, which may or may not be intended, is that it has been accompanied by a lot of soul-searching, so far.  It certainly is making me think. I'll be quiet now for a while as I have a lot of things to finish... Finished work around 5 p.m. today, for a change.  Put all the work stuff away until next Wednesday. Next thing I know I've started making dinner - a prawn stir fry - with the help of son #3. For what seems like the umpteenth time I find myself watching football, again. England v. Scotland. Another couple of hours of my life I'll never get back. ...

I'm on leave today - in fact I did originally have the entire week off (did I mention that already?), until the course I am on for work intervened and I wasn't able to move all my holiday that overlapped with the course timetable. I am planning to have a relaxing day catching up on the rest of yesterday's Bloomsday celebrations, some reading, listening to the remainder of the latest 'Freak Zone' and whatever else takes my fancy (within the limitations of what is available!) OK. Seems like today is going to be derailed a bit.  First problem: my wife's air-mattress appears to be punctured in part, so time to call out NRS Healthcare.  It's going to be fun coordinating that with the carer visit: it has to happen then as she'll need to be out of the bed when it's checked/repaired and today (and Tuesday) are the normal times she hoisted out into a special chair for 10-15 minutes. Continence supplies need ordering. Pharmacy called, drugs for my wife to be c...

It is, as the title says, Bloomsday, the annual celebration of James Joyce's novel, 'Ulysses', the action of which (more or less) all takes place in Dublin on the 16th June (though originally in 1904).  Although I cannot be in Dublin (nor can others, excepting those who live there) this year, I am still trying to celebrate, despite the limitations that having to work on this day place on me.  Next year 'Ulysses' will be 100, so it would be the perfect year to go to Dublin for Bloomsday, though it's probably booked up already or won't happen due to COVID or one of my many imponderables will strike, preventing me from going. I shall investigate. Early morning call with Talking Therapies and they agree with what I'd suggested last week, the only problem being there is an 8 week waiting list for counselling. All the usual safety and so forth questions answered as usual. I manage to squeeze in a bit of the Bloomsday breakfast before work takes over, starting ...

Annual leave today which brings a change of emphasis. I still walked for 30 minutes early on, but after that the day is my own. Nothing planned specifically though I do have things to do. First on my list is to return the pair of trousers I ordered for an upcoming wedding.  They fit more or less, but I think their definition of slim fit would more accurately be described as skeletal fit (bearing in mind there is a fit described as 'skinny' which I assume to be even more close fitting than slim).  It never ceases to amaze me how much the clothing industry manages to interpret the same words to mean something different. I guess, of course, it could be that I am becoming overweight and 'slim' is me clinging on to my youth. Hmmm. Read more of book club novel and continued with my re-reading of 'Ulysses', reinvigorated by tomorrow being Bloomsday, though I will attempt to read sections at the times they occur, as much as work (for I am back at work tomorrow) will all...

Didn't walk first thing as I'm doing a longer walk later, with friends. Some important admin stuff out of the way, time to get organised for the walk. I'm suntan-lotioned, have water, hat, walking trousers (borrowed) and an address to enter into the satnav. Off we go! Back from a great walk with friends, culminating in lunch at the West Berkshire brewery.  The walk took in different landscapes across the North Wessex Downs AONB, which was abundantly green and verdant. Getting out in the fresh air in this sort of weather is a great boost whilst in the moment. Sons 1 and 2 have been to the funeral of a friend this afternoon, something both sad and wrong, but given the circumstances I can say nothing more here, other than it is deeply troubling.  We have spoken of it before and again this afternoon and I have comforted them, but am disturbed by it too. After a call with a friend son #3 and I make dinner: baked haddock with parmesan and various vegetables.  It transpires...

Usual start to a Sunday, just with added sunshine. A white wash to do, naturally, but after that not that many chores I need to do, or at least that I can be bothered to do. It's such a gorgeous day I decide to read 'The Observer' in the garden, followed by a bit of this month's book club novel. In the afternoon sons 1 and 2 were heading out round to a friend's house to meet up with a bunch of other school friends, leaving me in the house alone. I'm not in a reading frame of mind, so music it must be.  I'm not in a very thinking oriented frame of mind either, so I think it's going to be my playlist on random with a few manual interventions if it throws up anything I'm not in the mood for. I'm beginning to think 'Diary of a Madman' (with apologies to Gogol, if I choose it) is the best title for this blog, post-lockdown, whenever that may be. Not 100% committed (😁) to it yet, but it's a jacket that's beginning to fit. Strait. It tu...

Beautiful summer Saturday morning.  Shopping with son #3. Crisis! Local almond croissant shortage.  Chocolate twist to the rescue. After shopping, breakfast followed by the start of washing for the day.   Back in taxi role for a brief interlude whilst I take son #3 to his student flat in town where he'll be staying with his gf until tomorrow afternoon/evening. Read the papers. If anyone says to me that 'each day is a blessing' I will throttle them. It is the biggest load of glib, trite, self-centred and unthinking bullshit ever. Yes, there are good things, things to be grateful for, but that does not mean that every day is great for everyone. No amount of positivity or smiles or whatever can change something that is shit. It just is shit. No upsides. No blessings. No gratitude. Just shit. After any happy interlude, it is still there, still shit. Go for a walk early evening. No one wants to join me - to be fair they've not been up for that long - so I go on my own as ...

Final working day of the week, with an extra long weekend due to taking next Tuesday off as annual leave. Work dominates the day One of carers is off for two weeks. I will miss her as she usually brightens my day with badinage and friendly piss-taking.  It's her birthday soon, just after mine. Work... Around lunch time I discover that the course I'm on has set four other pieces of work to be done by Wednesday's next call.  Just one problem: I'm not back in work until Wednesday, so now on top of the one thing I knew I had to finish for the course today, I have all this to do as well. It's going to be a long day. Given how much work I have to do I suggest to the boys that we have a takeaway tonight as I'm not going to be able to help with dinner.  Finally three hours after I'd planned to finish, I've done enough of the 'homework' that I feel I can stop.  I reckon if I get up early enough on Wednesday I can finish it off.  Not wishing to be a misera...

It's Thursday already and I feel like I'm in permanent catch-up mode. Work dominates after the usual early morning walk. As this week is carers week, work is putting on a few events, one of which is this afternoon's talk on resilience.  It was interesting and useful to meet other colleagues who are carers, but I'm not quite in place where I can build resilience, yet. Probably the reverse. More work Tonight's Idler drinks chat is with author/philosopher Julian Baggini who'll be talking about 18th century philosopher David Hume. Another enjoyable conversation with Julian being a very fluent conversationalist and clearly an enthusiast for David Hume. He chose Kate Bush's 'The Sensual World' as he has outro song, which was  I stuck around for the post-drinks chat with other Idlers, which was fun as always. After that dinner and TV: we're starting a new series tonight and son #1 (for it was his choice) chose 'Spooks' series 1, which I have see...

Another working day, so most likely not a lot to say.  Walked early as usual, crossed paths with the same people I do most days, usual greetings. Cloud of electrons / satellites - no real connections. Amongst a number of interests, I am also interested in aviation, have been since I first read the Biggles books as a child. The past week has been particularly interesting ahead of the G7 summit in Cornwall as a large number of military transports have started arriving in the UK.  The US contingent, ahead of POTUS's arrival has been both large and very active. This evening I watched / listened to 'Air Force 1' heading towards RAF Mildenhall from the point when it crossed the Welsh coast over Strumble Head to it's landing at the USAF base.  For a brief while it looked like it was going to fly near here, until the controller gave the flight a direct routeing which took it much further north. I guess it was inevitable in these times of lower traffic density. Never mind! (F...

Back to work and the first day of a course spread over the next six weeks. Other than that, the same old same old. At some point in the day I published my review of 'The Alchemist' on my good reads page, further stoking the fires of controversy. Apart from the training course I also attended an hour long session titled 'The Art of Being Brilliant', the first in a series of talks about making the most of yourself / your life.  The speaker was Jonathan Peach who had some very interesting and enjoyable things to say, though most notably for me right now and as he pointed out, you do need to be starting from a good state of mental health.  It was thought-provoking and fun, but I think I need to get the Talking Therapies stuff under way / over, before I can really take advantage of it. During the evening I got a message from a friend I've not spoken to for a few months.  Last time I heard from her she was in the Maldives with her new  fiancé. She is planning a visit over...