tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58869220153899233772024-03-13T20:59:31.674+00:00One Fine WeaselOne Fine Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332431189064825125noreply@blogger.comBlogger341125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886922015389923377.post-43193054750785683882021-12-31T23:55:00.001+00:002021-12-31T23:56:20.943+00:00December 31, 2021<p>I made it! </p><p>One post and one photo per day, for one year: done. </p><p>The posts were mostly like this but never mind:</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGNyJNGIB5IdMl0gutTwojdQNcrNqruF10j4tlXoxo2dHZIWA-pyNbPpUy-0oSOcXHvVysLABEe0K0VPUSr8leiCt7OVKes7btg6iLmBwHLwgLWq8LYeWbacDqOU6cs1AzG_q694q9D1yJqlqQhiulXL4wkb_Id4WtnBUTf1JdLdxyt0tVtvIG9kvLWw=s582" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="187" data-original-width="582" height="129" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGNyJNGIB5IdMl0gutTwojdQNcrNqruF10j4tlXoxo2dHZIWA-pyNbPpUy-0oSOcXHvVysLABEe0K0VPUSr8leiCt7OVKes7btg6iLmBwHLwgLWq8LYeWbacDqOU6cs1AzG_q694q9D1yJqlqQhiulXL4wkb_Id4WtnBUTf1JdLdxyt0tVtvIG9kvLWw=w400-h129" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>For a person who never manages to keep up any new routine beyond a few days, it honestly feels like some sort of achievement. It was certainly quite challenging finding different things to take photos of when you only go to the same five places and stay home 80% of the time.</p><p>I guess the trick to sticking at it is choosing something you like to do anyway.<br /></p><p>Realising I only had about 150 pages left of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eichmann_in_Jerusalem" target="_blank"><i>Eichmann in Jerusalem</i></a> this afternoon, a book I've been dipping in and out of for months, I made a mighty push and got it finished so I could add it to the Books Read in 2021 total. When I finished it, I walked round to the library and dropped it into the returns bin. I did this instead of drinking cider and listening to records. Who says I don't know how to have a good time.</p><p>Today of course is <a href="https://twitter.com/70s_party/status/947484146288549888" target="_blank">#LemonPig</a><a href="https://twitter.com/70s_party/status/947484146288549888" target="_blank"> Day</a>, that age-old luck-bringing Twitter tradition that, erm, didn't seem to work too well the last couple of years but I'm nothing if not an optimist so here's this year's attempt:</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhX2xhxOWtyhI0tELTi__2vnXYd4ko72lOdUbTzFikQvfpA5PZhC3DV2i1j2X5-PhbN1avssY1fawREqYA4ehWWqBCEEhbo0RLwmFarPd6SMUcu-3QwTDZo8JzU0mXiWmtGt8WBVIt5K8jmRvEujaLuDTgT2qL8WJCwzYInW37gzTH45OxA0umoy9dFqg=s3824" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3824" data-original-width="3020" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhX2xhxOWtyhI0tELTi__2vnXYd4ko72lOdUbTzFikQvfpA5PZhC3DV2i1j2X5-PhbN1avssY1fawREqYA4ehWWqBCEEhbo0RLwmFarPd6SMUcu-3QwTDZo8JzU0mXiWmtGt8WBVIt5K8jmRvEujaLuDTgT2qL8WJCwzYInW37gzTH45OxA0umoy9dFqg=s320" width="253" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj8iFyHOs7P78e4FDVrncQKnJyP_TTBKNL2OOaymiu1VrvO32CfTqfFg5qt5toajJjGG0UDBJ71yXuQj8Wd5wr0OmCdo_cTlqp1T4AC9VdhsKz0Wm45DZ7L9n4s6gkIriT_Uk7m_bFoWhYbYNuR-0BLqBqnfaPxvj5MEfI6f0YLfe6wdpty_pWufQMCuw=s4320" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3240" data-original-width="4320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj8iFyHOs7P78e4FDVrncQKnJyP_TTBKNL2OOaymiu1VrvO32CfTqfFg5qt5toajJjGG0UDBJ71yXuQj8Wd5wr0OmCdo_cTlqp1T4AC9VdhsKz0Wm45DZ7L9n4s6gkIriT_Uk7m_bFoWhYbYNuR-0BLqBqnfaPxvj5MEfI6f0YLfe6wdpty_pWufQMCuw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br />Maybe previous ones didn't work because I forgot to add a tail? <p></p><p>Although I survived a pandemic and retained a roof over my head and enjoyed many other blessings so perhaps the luck did work after all.<br /></p><p>Here's the 'Before' pic. Tesco only had limes:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXEVmrCcN1pSUMpdCLpBXb5fL2SasQkxMx_vjnIqPe29TzA7q7WLaOp-6lIABf9szvt0MTHDLWwQ3Vw-9Sk_3yh7cyIQUqEf6ytwaZkGwneIsPUfYmvK_VKQ7e8eWZgS0lHzQpG9C_WawJFPn_cujj-mJyjHXpXkayqHyTPEZYUfikOD-AxT5rxhdNrg=s4320" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4320" data-original-width="3240" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXEVmrCcN1pSUMpdCLpBXb5fL2SasQkxMx_vjnIqPe29TzA7q7WLaOp-6lIABf9szvt0MTHDLWwQ3Vw-9Sk_3yh7cyIQUqEf6ytwaZkGwneIsPUfYmvK_VKQ7e8eWZgS0lHzQpG9C_WawJFPn_cujj-mJyjHXpXkayqHyTPEZYUfikOD-AxT5rxhdNrg=s320" width="240" /></a></div><p>I was astonished to find I still had the cloves, hidden right at the back of the kitchen cupboard. They're from my mum and dad's house, which was sold in 2012, and they were ancient then. There's no use by date on them, but there's this:</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgsvBo1SmYOe6qFLp-XufFUI0AwEa_ivoCC_8oXEMtgZzPrVSxJxf-RX234wa-eR5Asv_ukDRW5yDOCphJ-Dd6aLmc2NUmRbJ0dhnQPtms35JP6G80r96ZJPrLDRRannHlkZabShaxfBnSBgKEhUrMJyqAp1yyspISd36Z96ttnEE2fAv58jypX88niZw=s4320" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4320" data-original-width="3240" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgsvBo1SmYOe6qFLp-XufFUI0AwEa_ivoCC_8oXEMtgZzPrVSxJxf-RX234wa-eR5Asv_ukDRW5yDOCphJ-Dd6aLmc2NUmRbJ0dhnQPtms35JP6G80r96ZJPrLDRRannHlkZabShaxfBnSBgKEhUrMJyqAp1yyspISd36Z96ttnEE2fAv58jypX88niZw=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br />I obviously didn't check the cupboard last year because 2021 Lemon (Satsuma) Pig had sewing pins for eyes. Here he is presciently capturing the spirit of 2021 after only its first week:<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDrQPiAy8Cs8lYW3Za7BAIwjfEnz3j6y4NhIUWPrgOuJJTcf1i4vgDMljFTZQkdgFe4Pm_IqTfzh_ByEGo9Sua9INoU9EuHbGRl9_R3pykCoWA0BBDZFHAwjtsAEP1Kw7TqlyEo7pQORYRSBW6VR9owm-bVr1JfkV60WR2l2ZmK9dd8UxYq9nvpYf21w=s3264" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="1836" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDrQPiAy8Cs8lYW3Za7BAIwjfEnz3j6y4NhIUWPrgOuJJTcf1i4vgDMljFTZQkdgFe4Pm_IqTfzh_ByEGo9Sua9INoU9EuHbGRl9_R3pykCoWA0BBDZFHAwjtsAEP1Kw7TqlyEo7pQORYRSBW6VR9owm-bVr1JfkV60WR2l2ZmK9dd8UxYq9nvpYf21w=s320" width="180" /></a></div><p>With the lucky lime Lemon Pig looking out for us, let's hope 2022 sees a return to some semblance of normal. Hang in there. Happy New Year.</p><p>Today's Photo: <a href="https://onefineweasel.blogspot.com/2021/01/january-1-2021.html" target="_blank">Looking Into 2022</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4B9SXliHsOjQEmsETe2tmYMs3AcCsDoCLY8H5Wq_9Ctr7e9D9ZrpZ2Q6-48F4e-CFTucCZJA4kQTJbzvpryaftgaUvosVjSq9h7VIf6Gm7Qczf40MpguNu2FvoCthqrE2ZQskRvOYmirCwAYhoMDCLf9geENKVBezEIU048PnrfGcmDXWIk863pV_zw=s4320" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3240" data-original-width="4320" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4B9SXliHsOjQEmsETe2tmYMs3AcCsDoCLY8H5Wq_9Ctr7e9D9ZrpZ2Q6-48F4e-CFTucCZJA4kQTJbzvpryaftgaUvosVjSq9h7VIf6Gm7Qczf40MpguNu2FvoCthqrE2ZQskRvOYmirCwAYhoMDCLf9geENKVBezEIU048PnrfGcmDXWIk863pV_zw=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><p> <br /></p>One Fine Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332431189064825125noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886922015389923377.post-12700384446575880772021-12-30T21:45:00.006+00:002021-12-30T21:57:30.960+00:00December 30, 2021<p>I loved spending Christmas at my sister's, but boy am I loving this long stretch of Twixtmas nothingness even more.</p><p>It's great. I was born for this. <br /></p><p>I even finished a book today! My ambition for 2020 was to read 100 books, and I'd reached no.50 - <i>Midnight All Day</i> by Hanif Kureishi - halfway through May. Then the Dominic Cummings weekend landed and we all know <a href="https://onefineweasel.blogspot.com/2021/12/december-19-2021.html" target="_blank">what happened</a> after that.<br /></p><p>I only managed 24 more books in the remainder of 2020; and only 26 in total during 2021. </p><p>Here's 2021's list of things I read willingly (i.e. not including the tons of academic stuff for uni):<br /></p><div style="text-align: left;">1. <a href="https://ben-coates.com/rhine/" target="_blank"><i>The Rhine</i></a> by Ben Coates</div><div style="text-align: left;">2. <a href="http://themostdangerousanimalofall.com/" target="_blank"><i>The Most Dangerous Animal Of All</i></a> by Gary L. Stewart & Susan Mustafa</div><div style="text-align: left;">3. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11947382-humans-and-other-animals" target="_blank"><i>Humans and Other Animals</i></a> by Samantha Hurn<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">4. <a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/who-killed-john-lennon/lesley-ann-jones/9781789464191" target="_blank"><i>Who Killed John Lennon?</i></a> by Lesley-Ann Jones</div><div style="text-align: left;">5. <a href="https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2020/12/book-review-of-invisible-women-by-caroline-criado-perez.htm" target="_blank"><i>Invisible Women</i></a> by Caroline Criado Perez</div><div style="text-align: left;">6. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3103535-sylvia-plath" target="_blank"><i>Sylvia Plath</i></a> by Susan Bassnett</div><div style="text-align: left;">7. <a href="https://www.complete-review.com/reviews/suomi/paasila4.htm" target="_blank"><i>The Year of the Hare</i></a> by Arto Paasilinna</div><div style="text-align: left;">8. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2004/may/08/fiction.jeanettewinterson" target="_blank"><i>Lighthousekeeping</i></a> by Jeanette Winterson</div><div style="text-align: left;">9. <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/denis-avey/man-who-broke-auschwitz/" target="_blank"><i>The Man Who Broke Into Auschwitz</i></a> by Denis Avey</div><div style="text-align: left;">10. <a href="https://besharamagazine.org/uncategorized/a-meeting-between-brothers-message-from-the-heart-of-the-world/" target="_blank"><i>The Heart of the World</i></a> by Alan Ereira</div><div style="text-align: left;">11. <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/a/alice-thomas-ellis-3/unexplained-laughter/" target="_blank"><i>Unexplained Laughter</i></a> by Alice Thomas Ellis (reread)<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">12. <a href="https://text.npr.org/529748353" target="_blank"><i>The Descent of Man</i> </a>by Grayson Perry</div><div style="text-align: left;">13. <a href="https://text.npr.org/766425482" target="_blank"><i>I Will Never See The World Again</i></a> by Ahmet Altan</div><div style="text-align: left;">14. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/sep/09/way-world-works-nicholson-baker-review" target="_blank"><i>The Way The World Works</i></a> by Nicholson Baker</div><div style="text-align: left;">15. <a href="http://www.historymatters.group.shef.ac.uk/review-stranger-imagine-making-sense-twentieth-century-john-higgs/" target="_blank"><i>Stranger Than We Can Imagine</i></a> by John Higgs</div><div style="text-align: left;">16. <a href="https://gobookmart.com/girl-a-book-by-abigail-dean-is-an-exceptionally-dark-read/" target="_blank"><i>Girl A </i></a>by Abigail Dean (devoured this in one sitting)<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">17. <a href="https://www.aei.org/articles/the-woman-who-cracked-the-anxiety-code-review-robbing-fear-of-its-power/" target="_blank"><i>The Woman Who Cracked The Anxiety Code</i></a> by Judith Hoare</div><div style="text-align: left;">18. <a href="https://www.popmatters.com/65811-reading-the-oed-by-ammon-shea-2496102188.html" target="_blank"><i>Reading The Oxford English Dictionary</i></a> by Ammon Shea</div><div style="text-align: left;">19. <a href="https://www.thegothiclibrary.com/review-of-stiff-the-curious-lives-of-human-cadavers/" target="_blank"><i>Stiff</i></a> by Mary Roach</div><div style="text-align: left;">20. <a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/walking-the-woods-and-the-water/nick-hunt/9781857886436" target="_blank"><i>Walking The Woods And The Water</i></a> by Nick Hunt</div><div style="text-align: left;">21. <a href="https://www.4thestate.co.uk/book/a-life-discarded-3/" target="_blank"><i>A Life Discarded</i></a> by Alexander Masters (reread)<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">22. <a href="https://helenpearson.info/book/the-life-project/" target="_blank"><i>The Life Project</i></a> by Helen Pearson</div><div style="text-align: left;">23. <a href="https://www.vulture.com/2017/02/ottessa-moshfeghs-homesick-for-another-world-book-review.html" target="_blank"><i>Homesick For Another World</i></a> by Ottessa Moshfegh</div><div style="text-align: left;">24. <a href="https://eagleman.com/books/sum/" target="_blank"><i>Sum: 40 Tales From The Afterlives</i></a> by David Eagleman</div><div style="text-align: left;">25. <a href="https://www.tor.com/2021/01/26/book-reviews-the-swallowed-man-edward-carey/" target="_blank"><i>The Swallowed Man</i></a> by Edward Carey</div><div style="text-align: left;">26. <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/516861.After_The_Wall" target="_blank">After The Wall</a></i> by Jana Hensel</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">My annual lists serve a dual purpose: they're a good way to avoid accidental duplication, and they're a nice way of charting the year - I can look back at the lists and know exactly where I read any given title.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">In 2021 of course almost all were tackled at home. My only exotic memories are of shivering outside a Cathays cafe in thin winter sunshine reading <i>The Rhine</i> while drinking my first latte of the year; <i>I Will Never See The World Again </i>reminds me of <a href="https://onefineweasel.blogspot.com/2021/06/june-19-2021.html" target="_blank">crossing the Taff</a> to see Billy the Seal then stopping for a quick read in <a href="https://www.outdoorcardiff.com/parks/thompsons-park/" target="_blank">Thompsons Park</a> on the way home; and <i>Walking The Woods And The Water </i>came on holiday with me to Scotland so when I think of it I also think of <a href="https://www.scottishcanals.co.uk/destinations/the-kelpies/" target="_blank">Kelpies</a>.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">There are around 400 books currently in my <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-44981013" target="_blank">tsundoku</a> pile, of which around seven are partially started, and I got six more books as birthday/Christmas gifts from excellent people:</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">1. <i>The Salt Path</i> by Raynor Winn</div><div style="text-align: left;">2. <i>Hungry</i> by Grace Dent</div><div style="text-align: left;">3. <i>Lean Fall Stand</i> by Jon McGregor</div><div style="text-align: left;">4. <i>Pocket Atlas of Remote Islands: </i><i>Fifty Islands I Have Not Visited And Never Will</i> by Judith Schalansky</div><div style="text-align: left;">5. <i>Hamnet</i> by Maggie O'Farrell</div><div style="text-align: left;">6. <i>Piranesi</i> by Susanna Clark</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">My dearest wish for 2022 is to WILLINGLY READ 100 BOOKS. But also LISTEN TO MUSIC. TAKE PHOTOS. DO ART. BE OUTSIDE IN PLEASANT PLACES A LOT. And reconnect with the human race, Covid permitting. I want to stop being so much in my head; I want to move my body, get my hands dirty, engage, contribute, enjoy life again.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I already dragged my box of singles out from under my bed ready for tomorrow's (solo) New Year's Eve party. There will be dancing.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Today's Photo: 45s</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXfH2iUUExhWCN-hD_q1zeZvWKam-dhqof68VnRHK_Q0BulFJUELCgeypvklpJ_8d5CSl0gZ89TbzK7eHya3nJwPsNPYK-svKJu77rYK4ArwrplGraYPkIHf4HM8UNVrTvwe0xV5z78QT9W2PSGvkmnSoSDaTM8Q7Slc7ot1Itcm_EkP_6UHtX3_3m1w=s4320" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3240" data-original-width="4320" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXfH2iUUExhWCN-hD_q1zeZvWKam-dhqof68VnRHK_Q0BulFJUELCgeypvklpJ_8d5CSl0gZ89TbzK7eHya3nJwPsNPYK-svKJu77rYK4ArwrplGraYPkIHf4HM8UNVrTvwe0xV5z78QT9W2PSGvkmnSoSDaTM8Q7Slc7ot1Itcm_EkP_6UHtX3_3m1w=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>One Fine Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332431189064825125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886922015389923377.post-32816033526948755712021-12-29T23:37:00.004+00:002021-12-30T21:50:26.891+00:00December 29, 2021<p>Another sofa day. </p><p>Very browsing, much wow.</p><p>Today I learned there is another <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isleworth_Mona_Lisa" target="_blank"><i>Mona Lisa</i></a>.</p><p>Somebody uploaded essays about <a href="https://opencanterburytales.dsl.lsu.edu/" target="_blank"><i>The Canterbury Tales</i></a>.<br /></p><p><a href="http://www.roeselienraimond.com/" target="_blank">Roeselien Raimond</a> took a load of beautiful photos of <a href="http://www.roeselienraimond.com/animals/sixty-four-foxy-faces/" target="_blank">fox faces</a>:<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgTiQ58kQZTaQksRuWeloD_Di61mAhzaPrbTSP_B9J71Sq5heyjObZQMnyZI9zDU91qu0xe0w31hMIOaEW4j0R30av3nTMQyhnw86coP2qr5QmO1Pk1KOZeBk07AoEC7TPDCzJCrEAf1cLksVSonWJYAsRLgYTJh6uw92Zb9ikY-JyBkpDQqz5n0SNWdA=s1200" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgTiQ58kQZTaQksRuWeloD_Di61mAhzaPrbTSP_B9J71Sq5heyjObZQMnyZI9zDU91qu0xe0w31hMIOaEW4j0R30av3nTMQyhnw86coP2qr5QmO1Pk1KOZeBk07AoEC7TPDCzJCrEAf1cLksVSonWJYAsRLgYTJh6uw92Zb9ikY-JyBkpDQqz5n0SNWdA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Some good Twitter folk collated the resources that helped them realise they might have <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/AdhdAngsty/status/1469390546011492352" target="_blank">ADHD</a>. I'm slowly working my way through the articles. <a href="https://www.raptitude.com/what-adhd-is-like-for-me/" target="_blank">This</a> one was like ticking off a checklist. <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">My hero <a href="https://austinkleon.com/" target="_blank">Austin Kleon</a> blessed us with a newsletter called <i><a href="https://austinkleon.substack.com/p/my-year-in-100-quotes" target="_blank">My Year In 101 Quotes</a>. </i>As a keen harvester of quotes I already have a dedicated quotes notebook, but I like his idea of intentionally seeking out one a day. Here's a cracker he posted on Twitter recently:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjGdIeUAYvrkqFxYZACB9SbGPkpsggckWZG8IflilPlTV4UtKlgK45OV0bMWGcrEwhVZVLp8sOdbEjczJ2pIt_c-H3hPNCzYdywT5suOEssxP3IFyLuP7Jg5J2eXc0vs_avn6uYI-P3wKQAm27Eaeh9ts4oCpgndM6uzFm_zaUJnZEq4NoaNxZ0JB3vog=s680" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="382" data-original-width="680" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjGdIeUAYvrkqFxYZACB9SbGPkpsggckWZG8IflilPlTV4UtKlgK45OV0bMWGcrEwhVZVLp8sOdbEjczJ2pIt_c-H3hPNCzYdywT5suOEssxP3IFyLuP7Jg5J2eXc0vs_avn6uYI-P3wKQAm27Eaeh9ts4oCpgndM6uzFm_zaUJnZEq4NoaNxZ0JB3vog=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The Graun gave us a nice article about <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/dec/29/top-10-books-about-self-improvement-anna-katharina-schaffner-the-art-of-self-improvement-new-year-resolutions" target="_blank">helpful self help books</a> today. <i>Meditations</i> has long been on my list of books to read and hopefully after I've dropped out of university in the new year I'll actually have time to auto that didact instead of reducing myself to a frenzied mess trying to get an endless succession of pointless superficial bullshit essays about things I instantly forget handed in on time.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Also from the article:</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>"Thoreau saw paid work as a necessary evil to which we should dedicate as little time as possible."</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Hell yeah.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Now please take time to admire the masterpiece that is <a href="https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/48138856" target="_blank"><i>Ain't Nothing But A Love Cat</i></a> by <a href="https://www.redbubble.com/people/StuffByMarkUK/shop" target="_blank">StuffbyMarkUK</a>. I want so many things from his shop it's not funny.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I finally finished my Christmas window today:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXvLZ8X0E3KS83cD02dZTN22lW6dIdeSnPi_7i5dubEs5vPiwcRYBlhGxi1z8OAWxVZ7qDLTPBoPXObYfm2zfRVhS_YzqNSUoYIVuqMdmceRDmG-yIt7196itSlmRLwky73yM-y2GRTaPEZqlDpXT4Dk2PzSlSwKOgck17lo2ACo-c5AkJmeIzpPE-kg=s4320" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4320" data-original-width="3240" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXvLZ8X0E3KS83cD02dZTN22lW6dIdeSnPi_7i5dubEs5vPiwcRYBlhGxi1z8OAWxVZ7qDLTPBoPXObYfm2zfRVhS_YzqNSUoYIVuqMdmceRDmG-yIt7196itSlmRLwky73yM-y2GRTaPEZqlDpXT4Dk2PzSlSwKOgck17lo2ACo-c5AkJmeIzpPE-kg=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The tinsel tree (50p from the charity shop) is standing on a miniature pretend retro TV that's got a fake fire instead of a picture. I love how cosy the TV looks, but I can't run it too much because it makes a tiny noise which I find very horrible (in case you'd forgotten I was also autistic):</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmaxx1WXp1bvS8TPTXMrQKGBl7pnuNldJE8-wmy6odxJHW8Gjh4nvhXiV4nD0R8lutt_9m9SXSVImwCifY-LIBAsTHoQyMQgTU02FeqGKw1BUBqua4OKFT4UKLhPjQeIR3_ABApud5zM4Tn4TUnb4xGqqmkGsSmLtxLjJqkvP9-rll7hB8oJwMez7iKg=s4320" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3240" data-original-width="4320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmaxx1WXp1bvS8TPTXMrQKGBl7pnuNldJE8-wmy6odxJHW8Gjh4nvhXiV4nD0R8lutt_9m9SXSVImwCifY-LIBAsTHoQyMQgTU02FeqGKw1BUBqua4OKFT4UKLhPjQeIR3_ABApud5zM4Tn4TUnb4xGqqmkGsSmLtxLjJqkvP9-rll7hB8oJwMez7iKg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p>It is, of course, also from the charity shop and is destined to end up back there one day.<br /></p><p>Today's Photo: O Tannenbaum</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzDh3lv9ZJEiGoUoC_AvdBbIOCZ1GWThRwvvOeyLg63U-4iDSxs4Uf85zfoIQQEkDmPq9iHVWahNTyUYAapkg34rzpUXRseY-_tNooHbZQKQ4VIG4gmYdQAaEc_4jDQCJGzCi1c_BLANRUCyLNJ7ST_HpQ-QTDLvCmV9zamq30JGLAkGHOry71qhH8Dw=s4320" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4320" data-original-width="3240" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzDh3lv9ZJEiGoUoC_AvdBbIOCZ1GWThRwvvOeyLg63U-4iDSxs4Uf85zfoIQQEkDmPq9iHVWahNTyUYAapkg34rzpUXRseY-_tNooHbZQKQ4VIG4gmYdQAaEc_4jDQCJGzCi1c_BLANRUCyLNJ7ST_HpQ-QTDLvCmV9zamq30JGLAkGHOry71qhH8Dw=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p> </p>One Fine Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332431189064825125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886922015389923377.post-77827427239690064212021-12-28T19:49:00.000+00:002021-12-28T19:49:32.179+00:00December 28, 2021<p>Back to life, back to reality.</p><p>A gentle day, curled up with a book under a duvet on the sofa, and then out for a walk in the park. Slowness and silence the goal after a run of full-on days.<br /></p><p>Today's Photo: The Long View</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBXixc43ssXXE-LnKOayoy-PU06A7pHgFuh0onQe66JTV70H6gC4mqM9csUni8oTpoDDjVmi1_KSnMOJ6fTVT3UNz6aPlp3Ih8vIt7fcBxoeuas3Hry-yYX5xmtKArasQM3UTuOEXNx7UaGNzJ3ncyOeVb6h3fgBcFSwtAHJRl4rhttXthp6Q7Q0oPpw=s4320" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4320" data-original-width="3240" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBXixc43ssXXE-LnKOayoy-PU06A7pHgFuh0onQe66JTV70H6gC4mqM9csUni8oTpoDDjVmi1_KSnMOJ6fTVT3UNz6aPlp3Ih8vIt7fcBxoeuas3Hry-yYX5xmtKArasQM3UTuOEXNx7UaGNzJ3ncyOeVb6h3fgBcFSwtAHJRl4rhttXthp6Q7Q0oPpw=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><br /> <br /><p></p>One Fine Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332431189064825125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886922015389923377.post-22757888240920239922021-12-27T21:33:00.003+00:002021-12-29T23:45:23.533+00:00December 27, 2021<p>Still Christmassing with the fam - my brother's lot this time. Hearty walks in the rain and so forth:<br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj40w-EG8YOwuFQFWb1ZqH7JCJ34NJCJzBIsmlFlCGgWs5TeGD6W3ZXBzZSabwd30ENd-JEITMv-lyi_u9s66sVHO5DXa9XdgiBgZBpRsvHJlpxTXObuo4_K-RyeyiLMnM4vpIworPGGbMIs2OQCDkw2WIoN6FFFU_VZnEFJC-Sc72Zf4CPPI97_zoBpQ=s4320" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3240" data-original-width="4320" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj40w-EG8YOwuFQFWb1ZqH7JCJ34NJCJzBIsmlFlCGgWs5TeGD6W3ZXBzZSabwd30ENd-JEITMv-lyi_u9s66sVHO5DXa9XdgiBgZBpRsvHJlpxTXObuo4_K-RyeyiLMnM4vpIworPGGbMIs2OQCDkw2WIoN6FFFU_VZnEFJC-Sc72Zf4CPPI97_zoBpQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><br /> <br /><p></p>One Fine Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332431189064825125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886922015389923377.post-56943630497143780292021-12-26T23:31:00.004+00:002021-12-28T19:29:24.306+00:00December 26, 2021<p> There and back again:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhUGudBJRC6JGAAvpNGyEvnZmdeBinKpXaNoZ3WHy9CjIynY4E4iLwVC9qzgMsy165GD4t-XvFrMYuXblXlOPL17WPkSqvgpSVtKkZfnuyJ2ecOBOeEXGOSligMNBSJck8QH0fEcspOAX99_3nLV0AOvIPFzmwe6D72IxG3nv83T2r6KF-62dxEf9StJg=s3264" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1836" data-original-width="3264" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhUGudBJRC6JGAAvpNGyEvnZmdeBinKpXaNoZ3WHy9CjIynY4E4iLwVC9qzgMsy165GD4t-XvFrMYuXblXlOPL17WPkSqvgpSVtKkZfnuyJ2ecOBOeEXGOSligMNBSJck8QH0fEcspOAX99_3nLV0AOvIPFzmwe6D72IxG3nv83T2r6KF-62dxEf9StJg=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was hard to tear myself away from two days of beloved human company, comfortable sofas, food on tap, and riotous games with the 8 year old. Also got to cuddle the baby, the real reason I went.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>One Fine Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332431189064825125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886922015389923377.post-2203975591744430322021-12-25T21:11:00.004+00:002021-12-28T19:31:57.809+00:00December 25, 2021<p> Happy Holidays!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIisa4jOUm5KB8cNNJRJZo7Yjwa9FteCQtgYQ44ciUSkDkbUfuLCLnygcfjWv7-pukAZ6b611ZPCoF8p1o25zR3qYO9f27MK1HtP3Puu7llHoAWd-ws73qy0dE8KWJB_mWdLhr4MxvyKc3Yb8H0CAYBHigC_fL4oXvzXNXh33a2_XtA4OglBjXKHEp2g=s3264" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="1836" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIisa4jOUm5KB8cNNJRJZo7Yjwa9FteCQtgYQ44ciUSkDkbUfuLCLnygcfjWv7-pukAZ6b611ZPCoF8p1o25zR3qYO9f27MK1HtP3Puu7llHoAWd-ws73qy0dE8KWJB_mWdLhr4MxvyKc3Yb8H0CAYBHigC_fL4oXvzXNXh33a2_XtA4OglBjXKHEp2g=w360-h640" width="360" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>One Fine Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332431189064825125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886922015389923377.post-15772979085685641642021-12-24T23:59:00.004+00:002021-12-28T19:23:39.010+00:00December 24, 2021<p> Driving home* for Christmas:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg5zAinpSUD2-slyUzCD3ehzd2AbKOQX0OcoZr3cxNJg3pmU4kE_1jeRmXxPhd2fU-xDc9mNsBFh8gx9qpS00XVbhCD-WtO9VwAb-6m9MfimOHvT2-Vqc55unuPvUHihzpAyZGuGTDpxnbqGucTqULF5rac7VsKbIwf-V4u2ecSnPREIoxDF3WdoZ0PFA=s3264" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1836" data-original-width="3264" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg5zAinpSUD2-slyUzCD3ehzd2AbKOQX0OcoZr3cxNJg3pmU4kE_1jeRmXxPhd2fU-xDc9mNsBFh8gx9qpS00XVbhCD-WtO9VwAb-6m9MfimOHvT2-Vqc55unuPvUHihzpAyZGuGTDpxnbqGucTqULF5rac7VsKbIwf-V4u2ecSnPREIoxDF3WdoZ0PFA=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>* where 'home' = my sister's house <br /></p><p><br /></p>One Fine Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332431189064825125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886922015389923377.post-61847792103246796972021-12-23T18:31:00.005+00:002021-12-23T18:31:55.858+00:00December 23, 2021<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEif7jwAx4y-MWSV2x37b4xzPyfAN271Z48PLrNXYzDHzlrig7JXhzGgEtWl-ck9fSbl0Lrrc_xX3QFFHidpT74uqbi1BkOFlInnQG9BdHhiedidR-a74Dns2m3ZFE0t666Ao0EYqVIDB4D2lLbXdKs4kQyn9zSkbHMFDOJ_aVkjtpFz24g0wNSSkEfiZg=s1200" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEif7jwAx4y-MWSV2x37b4xzPyfAN271Z48PLrNXYzDHzlrig7JXhzGgEtWl-ck9fSbl0Lrrc_xX3QFFHidpT74uqbi1BkOFlInnQG9BdHhiedidR-a74Dns2m3ZFE0t666Ao0EYqVIDB4D2lLbXdKs4kQyn9zSkbHMFDOJ_aVkjtpFz24g0wNSSkEfiZg=w400-h200" width="400" /></a></div><br />Happy <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Festivus" target="_blank">Festivus</a>! A day I found out about by seeing it trending on Twitter just now.<p></p><p>Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to celebrate by opening a bottle of Prosecco and watching episode one of <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2021/12/review-the-beatles-get-back-by-peter-jackson/620872/" target="_blank"><i>Get Back</i></a>, thanks to the library colleague who loaned me the link.</p><p>Merry Christmas to Dan, you bloody marvel.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/2020-05/29/17/asset/ef225e6bb3f4/anigif_sub-buzz-83-1590773609-1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="301" data-original-width="468" height="206" src="https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/2020-05/29/17/asset/ef225e6bb3f4/anigif_sub-buzz-83-1590773609-1.gif" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Today's Photo: Best Case Scenario</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiBRpLJ3eCTswLaXwQM7GErHY7fIuzyDx8bGHUVq7uSSLTLWSUL9lS9WbAf5-g-fkLeO4NXwkZkqG1Q9xTsn7f9N1j_iYr4SmZv3kwlBudmTJdrZ1FeEG8vkiC8OkjOwdjaSsFnDYcRaM2O_e2tdpFAzUH5AaH5ZOelgNRNfIk697p1aUV_2wWD1Z91pA=s4320" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3240" data-original-width="4320" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiBRpLJ3eCTswLaXwQM7GErHY7fIuzyDx8bGHUVq7uSSLTLWSUL9lS9WbAf5-g-fkLeO4NXwkZkqG1Q9xTsn7f9N1j_iYr4SmZv3kwlBudmTJdrZ1FeEG8vkiC8OkjOwdjaSsFnDYcRaM2O_e2tdpFAzUH5AaH5ZOelgNRNfIk697p1aUV_2wWD1Z91pA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p> </p>One Fine Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332431189064825125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886922015389923377.post-51538978657752860832021-12-22T23:40:00.001+00:002021-12-23T00:11:37.930+00:00December 22, 2021<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/answering-the-question-that-won-me-the-ig-nobel-prize-are-cats-liquid-86589" target="_blank">Are cats liquid?</a></p><p>I'm not sure but here are some pics I found of them being quite weird:<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgfPk5fGRt0s-y_CMzaUR74n2KvhczJdG-0pMwBpGgIXXMfrG9hCZ9Pn-zcgyegJK-dx5-XGXbt3837z9vwC-f4zQHucEfYAcQjTeXUsi6eWM2sl6mZy6FJXu6lf7tDU9tRxqctSS9Sww8QjEWq9UWll019x1OXkvdrVnnWz3Ycrn73K6zkllMC3oW-Vg=s680" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="558" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgfPk5fGRt0s-y_CMzaUR74n2KvhczJdG-0pMwBpGgIXXMfrG9hCZ9Pn-zcgyegJK-dx5-XGXbt3837z9vwC-f4zQHucEfYAcQjTeXUsi6eWM2sl6mZy6FJXu6lf7tDU9tRxqctSS9Sww8QjEWq9UWll019x1OXkvdrVnnWz3Ycrn73K6zkllMC3oW-Vg=s320" width="263" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjpM8qd1TiVT92-dykIOaX_yaonUilEVzH_a1po8qrvmJkkkZuH8-8JxEIhWT3WGQxzJBjYMCre1mDPBUr27Z6exETW88QlKMgredN03igvnWCjPl9sgR7OogzRPUAJyDaJbiJYlcDWvQzr2V48fIGHxSo6YvGcQlrLcXp7U9iCQxLtkVOBWhvg5bruRg=s1021" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="955" data-original-width="1021" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjpM8qd1TiVT92-dykIOaX_yaonUilEVzH_a1po8qrvmJkkkZuH8-8JxEIhWT3WGQxzJBjYMCre1mDPBUr27Z6exETW88QlKMgredN03igvnWCjPl9sgR7OogzRPUAJyDaJbiJYlcDWvQzr2V48fIGHxSo6YvGcQlrLcXp7U9iCQxLtkVOBWhvg5bruRg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjsCdsM3SYOwl13m1e2fCjIodjO4Z-BBi0FL7Ei6YiWMDIllMDu0-FETptuowv_gsGZjaueWVbASoj2BYQAHCbvMhnUcaxft5j4js37o8bK5SvqpPUoA83QCFwNblL4mJfVxNkOlVRfDbmCc02xKS-c4DnLNRifRd6ajh_8hLW-UAn0YEB446HD_sSg0w=s933" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="933" data-original-width="700" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjsCdsM3SYOwl13m1e2fCjIodjO4Z-BBi0FL7Ei6YiWMDIllMDu0-FETptuowv_gsGZjaueWVbASoj2BYQAHCbvMhnUcaxft5j4js37o8bK5SvqpPUoA83QCFwNblL4mJfVxNkOlVRfDbmCc02xKS-c4DnLNRifRd6ajh_8hLW-UAn0YEB446HD_sSg0w=s320" width="240" /></a></div><p>The day I get to live with a cat again will be the happiest day of my life.</p><p>I'm so close to Getting Christmas Done now I can't even. The thought of it's a whisper of a promise for tomorrow... after putting in a full day's work I've got one present left to post (for a January birthday). I sent Christmas cards off today, only one day late this year. Everything's wrapped. I've tidied the mess off the floor. I even got to the launderette, and went for a PCR test ready for (hopefully) spending Christmas Day at my sister's. By close of play tomorrow I'll - I daren't even think it - have nothing to do except drink prosecco and watch a DVD, and the flat will be clean and tidy, and there will be no unanswered emails outstanding. That's the plan.<br /></p><p>Fingers crossed I keep up today's rather spellbinding momentum. Deadlines are definitely good for me.<br /></p><p>Today's Photo: Pavement Tryptych</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiqQbVdFTY8TFC6g1O2TFYUKj5d0tnWW7-fPCf0wUO5chnVyFQsWyH5EW2uCnKYGuKo6OkRhtWqK-GCKAicmhKWjJkSdgtdUUQmjbE58tBNI_c6V2qOWR6OhB8pCaADs_EF5GkCF25E61ERvHnpj55wPFt3omtAYyb3u4TiCtmlPpB89FSZXAeaOZngoA=s4320" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3240" data-original-width="4320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiqQbVdFTY8TFC6g1O2TFYUKj5d0tnWW7-fPCf0wUO5chnVyFQsWyH5EW2uCnKYGuKo6OkRhtWqK-GCKAicmhKWjJkSdgtdUUQmjbE58tBNI_c6V2qOWR6OhB8pCaADs_EF5GkCF25E61ERvHnpj55wPFt3omtAYyb3u4TiCtmlPpB89FSZXAeaOZngoA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhIG4JCSqh9iUGBx-5LkL8-zOFMhomx46KbWbfSCZtb_f2VOg6BnMb8glY63uUHgG7Kkf-J05-3XrfqncD-w6Oxpg-ex6R4QXietcfGk9jNdkkrOCIu7Xl_mO0qvgienrLzk_bDlUqatttB2obhku8ATzZolJ91yDYIr6ZWK1o3IDraD7rCnuYIihvGIg=s4320" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3240" data-original-width="4320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhIG4JCSqh9iUGBx-5LkL8-zOFMhomx46KbWbfSCZtb_f2VOg6BnMb8glY63uUHgG7Kkf-J05-3XrfqncD-w6Oxpg-ex6R4QXietcfGk9jNdkkrOCIu7Xl_mO0qvgienrLzk_bDlUqatttB2obhku8ATzZolJ91yDYIr6ZWK1o3IDraD7rCnuYIihvGIg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhY0_-kbwy1IDkuAkn9zyEOiwmmLBAogy2_aG1EZoPPF0Jmu8gQbDdc5HByLUc3V1GvWI7SLSSvtPfCrmOaxMVqoOPa71Mjy0T2elRltDU-k_qRQGzNqiJGLgMTURcq7tfsT6YN-bax7oHsDP8u7kxwZbR3TGxIw62cVMFRpCCOXX5cXjT3YvI1NID-eQ=s4320" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3240" data-original-width="4320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhY0_-kbwy1IDkuAkn9zyEOiwmmLBAogy2_aG1EZoPPF0Jmu8gQbDdc5HByLUc3V1GvWI7SLSSvtPfCrmOaxMVqoOPa71Mjy0T2elRltDU-k_qRQGzNqiJGLgMTURcq7tfsT6YN-bax7oHsDP8u7kxwZbR3TGxIw62cVMFRpCCOXX5cXjT3YvI1NID-eQ=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <br /><p></p>One Fine Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332431189064825125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886922015389923377.post-33863836949441130012021-12-21T21:54:00.001+00:002021-12-22T23:39:54.306+00:00December 21, 2021<p>Finished off the Christmas shopping. How organised is that?</p><p>Although I have a horrible feeling I've forgotten someone...<br /></p><p>In town I found the <a href="https://www.visitcardiff.com/events/heofon-light-maze/" target="_blank">Heofon Light Maze</a>, which was just the ticket on a gloomy grey day:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjhX8-Zp-aRkOU0PzU79vhEOE8VGzJRRDVq-QGfEyzVkHh1A-IS_MgSP9ogWW4w8lGxD09iJTjvSpAJPq_DjYUa8JED1moOaPRterPjOTJz_PBCYxs--Boxu1ed3XxIUqQmCM-MjySTBnV7jn2xysnY8SKNUxOYcnD8yWuoAsN174Mo8CQ3_-VGfJGV3w=s4320" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3240" data-original-width="4320" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjhX8-Zp-aRkOU0PzU79vhEOE8VGzJRRDVq-QGfEyzVkHh1A-IS_MgSP9ogWW4w8lGxD09iJTjvSpAJPq_DjYUa8JED1moOaPRterPjOTJz_PBCYxs--Boxu1ed3XxIUqQmCM-MjySTBnV7jn2xysnY8SKNUxOYcnD8yWuoAsN174Mo8CQ3_-VGfJGV3w=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhdew8He5y5p8X0DMaHu-vGuK1EcF0AfOODOifFk5tqHTZXNkvr_DFpo_ubLxDM7uiEuM5jZ2ydrCOJTx8ePr1Hd-SZcA5n5rLVYKY_OzU5cb_ROVzCwjK4low8_FCnpTWzS3O_UvrchCNZJC8Szsbag85ZnHLlyTMCsZnX7h6fUhzRIhbWn7uNM_Q70A=s4320" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4320" data-original-width="3240" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhdew8He5y5p8X0DMaHu-vGuK1EcF0AfOODOifFk5tqHTZXNkvr_DFpo_ubLxDM7uiEuM5jZ2ydrCOJTx8ePr1Hd-SZcA5n5rLVYKY_OzU5cb_ROVzCwjK4low8_FCnpTWzS3O_UvrchCNZJC8Szsbag85ZnHLlyTMCsZnX7h6fUhzRIhbWn7uNM_Q70A=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><p>The blue light tricked my brain into thinking the sky was summertime blue, an instant happiness boost:<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtCnVmj4jKBMDzK4yevMvBuxaRqI16oES397y9zVXWJu_rJT2WYBhibsfa6Jz1NxPGU9crU-nEEZhXhLjTY4ZbLPIwsVMQlAdNePjMLOMuuXL3ctVy7yY0gjyHtrWHUhLcWzqx0BPPqrDpArpSVzWlt1421RU0HEXZhUSa64aSkbe_o_8fGgu1fwvaCg=s4320" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3240" data-original-width="4320" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtCnVmj4jKBMDzK4yevMvBuxaRqI16oES397y9zVXWJu_rJT2WYBhibsfa6Jz1NxPGU9crU-nEEZhXhLjTY4ZbLPIwsVMQlAdNePjMLOMuuXL3ctVy7yY0gjyHtrWHUhLcWzqx0BPPqrDpArpSVzWlt1421RU0HEXZhUSa64aSkbe_o_8fGgu1fwvaCg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhWrD7TydDlEZ6oGoYW7NPz50xYsOvVfdYQiM00-6sbCmdwqKz1EzLt6b7cMJy0u6Mp5B3rCNLCvw_MKbl4mLGptViPfnNHc28xTseihIvHSwAss9XoP6BcwYDCnFIHPeviRoXTAFT_G7MUUL8NzX36Frtbp3BxLkfn-AgGRBxPRbvCxLAyQ2sx1xugIg=s4320" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4320" data-original-width="3240" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhWrD7TydDlEZ6oGoYW7NPz50xYsOvVfdYQiM00-6sbCmdwqKz1EzLt6b7cMJy0u6Mp5B3rCNLCvw_MKbl4mLGptViPfnNHc28xTseihIvHSwAss9XoP6BcwYDCnFIHPeviRoXTAFT_G7MUUL8NzX36Frtbp3BxLkfn-AgGRBxPRbvCxLAyQ2sx1xugIg=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><p></p><p>It was visually delicious, and also fun watching the kids screaming around inside it: <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIgqIkrDKqu6aWtxKrzJuKVjMxiXIzXJR5-anmIPw6YPrdxJcmbCncUYzeGjJx9J7JKJ41uI4eNq4DcKxLGEYw-sPqu0bmsqpw1D2DTUa5NBXPrXlGxVuBXfIUEbM7k18nWwOKKXWhfKc4_T644WcAH_8Oglygfme4KW804Xq_WTKZp6qOWVk2DTU3AA=s4320" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3240" data-original-width="4320" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIgqIkrDKqu6aWtxKrzJuKVjMxiXIzXJR5-anmIPw6YPrdxJcmbCncUYzeGjJx9J7JKJ41uI4eNq4DcKxLGEYw-sPqu0bmsqpw1D2DTUa5NBXPrXlGxVuBXfIUEbM7k18nWwOKKXWhfKc4_T644WcAH_8Oglygfme4KW804Xq_WTKZp6qOWVk2DTU3AA=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br />I only realised it was a mirror maze when I went in for a go myself.<p></p><p>Think I'll have to go back and see it in the dark, too. It was proper lovely.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjpWaOt3DlsJEiAqMYdZokuFiAm3o_JEs4OaxcbbtNt-xg3jvqs7gZ56Qnyqt_r7R6S51nyXDm-kaZq2Dp1k7gaQzO9CgL1Uygtme2qZZnDI1rMn9QHigFaWotcUVqoMihhX8WU-lrSHGnyVc5AOzCMuD-mkNpSsw2_GOLzbEp9k_0ArfoQs_kxBBpPLQ=s4320" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4320" data-original-width="3240" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjpWaOt3DlsJEiAqMYdZokuFiAm3o_JEs4OaxcbbtNt-xg3jvqs7gZ56Qnyqt_r7R6S51nyXDm-kaZq2Dp1k7gaQzO9CgL1Uygtme2qZZnDI1rMn9QHigFaWotcUVqoMihhX8WU-lrSHGnyVc5AOzCMuD-mkNpSsw2_GOLzbEp9k_0ArfoQs_kxBBpPLQ=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><p>Walking home, the night came quickly; an inky, heavy blackness, the kind of dark you want to light a candle against.</p><p>So I did.</p><p>Happy Winter Solstice. The light is coming back. <br /></p><p>Today's Photo: Fiat Lux</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3Og6TZXSpCrIpi2DhfQNRHuK0k6mGiaOetxBc_TLQPSnCHqBcHxEQF_pF9mj002RrEDxKEVCI-VByJweSnIlPy7CKTwvW2NtIvxp46tOri-HSABr59-FnQYd_OyCrQ3oYy3gs-qr8p-OMAd5iw2-6oRrvxEUzgmHEFdsF-hQ0M3XFt9okfo6-o6T1ag=s4320" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3240" data-original-width="4320" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3Og6TZXSpCrIpi2DhfQNRHuK0k6mGiaOetxBc_TLQPSnCHqBcHxEQF_pF9mj002RrEDxKEVCI-VByJweSnIlPy7CKTwvW2NtIvxp46tOri-HSABr59-FnQYd_OyCrQ3oYy3gs-qr8p-OMAd5iw2-6oRrvxEUzgmHEFdsF-hQ0M3XFt9okfo6-o6T1ag=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>One Fine Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332431189064825125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886922015389923377.post-27084268909855735372021-12-20T18:24:00.003+00:002021-12-21T21:57:17.291+00:00December 20, 2021<p>Last night before bed I wrote a stiff To Do list for today, consisting of six monstrous things that were all Urgent or Very Urgent.<br /></p><p>It was cold and grey outside this morning so I immediately discounted the ones that involved leaving the house: going to the launderette, and nipping into town to get last-minute Christmas presents. Two down, four to go.<br /></p><p>Summoning all my courage, I took the advice of all those motivational gurus and tackled the worst one first: ringing Virgin Mobile to get some information I needed. It's never as bad as you think it's going to be and I only had to listen to painful Ed Sheeranesque hold music for about half an hour before I got through. Tick!</p><p>Next up: contacting university about withdrawing or suspending my studies next year. I emailed my tutor; she emailed straight back with helpful suggestions. Things I have learned this year: asking people about things is surprisingly useful. Tick!</p><p>Two left. Hmmn. Christmas wrapping? <i>Loadsa </i>time for that, why is that even on the list? </p><p>(Because there have been unwrapped Christmas presents strewn across all available floorspace for weeks and you're getting sick of stepping over them and the general untidiness and chaos in here? <i>Shhhh</i>. I'll do it later.)</p><p>Ok, last one. </p><p>Oh no. </p><p>It just says 'Emails' and we all know what that means. </p><p>It means it's time for Twitter procrastination! Yay! Squirrels!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hFZFjoX2cGg" width="320" youtube-src-id="hFZFjoX2cGg"></iframe></div><p>To Do lists are exhausting.<br /></p><p>Today's Photo: Owl Socks And Other Gifts </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEji6HX6OUXgZ6sI5js4pMh3tK9ioFJazMFZ92SNfzzl0Xz1ff-7PcuQyB5OyMqfXExisFk8DrojTlBjtfLznQ57wpkkQFN4i6e3OI6xBdgq7TmdDtA7m1WyfibG-YJa38ZDxMoTVUV--D_eXrmfwH2zUCxnc32aZ55XZ2y1ENLcQv39boQqcQCkisNgzQ=s4010" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3008" data-original-width="4010" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEji6HX6OUXgZ6sI5js4pMh3tK9ioFJazMFZ92SNfzzl0Xz1ff-7PcuQyB5OyMqfXExisFk8DrojTlBjtfLznQ57wpkkQFN4i6e3OI6xBdgq7TmdDtA7m1WyfibG-YJa38ZDxMoTVUV--D_eXrmfwH2zUCxnc32aZ55XZ2y1ENLcQv39boQqcQCkisNgzQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>One Fine Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332431189064825125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886922015389923377.post-81204379188092014492021-12-19T22:03:00.005+00:002021-12-19T22:19:18.218+00:00December 19, 2021<p>Felt very chipper this morning, which I'm putting down to:</p><p>1. Getting enough sleep.</p><p>2. Yesterday's unexpected apology development.</p><p>3. Briefly seeing my friend Sam for a present-swap.</p><p>4. Deciding for real that I won't be going back to university in January - the choice now is whether to suspend or withdraw. </p><p>5. Feeling miles better now the booster side effects have worn off (although it still feels like there's a hard-boiled egg in my armpit).<br /></p><p>6. No more work until 10 January.</p><p>That's a fairly formidable list of chipper.</p><p>I even strolled around the lake <i>the wrong way</i>, which I haven't done since 2019, and it felt glorious to have this dizzying level of freedom again:<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibZpyB5R30EV9B1cZ6Dv4sshmf-_jR77ob2hPkLsRIyk1QJUuY1KMkTwo6Sc-RyJiKSMqZIwxayB4Gpy74z4BpuvIPwIjG0m_BkyoIKhkRa54KuCZNGShXlGYkXnsZdojjmVNfDCDKA031PdkKp5XeB5QCGi21q67cuTGlreOurVptWdE1ddr2t7ylSA=s4320" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3240" data-original-width="4320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibZpyB5R30EV9B1cZ6Dv4sshmf-_jR77ob2hPkLsRIyk1QJUuY1KMkTwo6Sc-RyJiKSMqZIwxayB4Gpy74z4BpuvIPwIjG0m_BkyoIKhkRa54KuCZNGShXlGYkXnsZdojjmVNfDCDKA031PdkKp5XeB5QCGi21q67cuTGlreOurVptWdE1ddr2t7ylSA=s320" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">(When it was made a one-way circuit for covid reasons in <a href="https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local-news/roath-park-cardiff-coronavirus-lockdown-18115560" target="_blank">April 2020</a>, I remember approving of the council's decision to make it clockwise because that was definitely the right way to stroll round the lake. Ha. What a damn fool that girl was.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Entertained myself in the park by taking pictures of pigeons, as you do:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhoGs2j0n50kgp6I-4qpWej2--pcXre7hhYRUopXj6-oCLXigwv2f-dSZnd9-IL2bcTDXbtv4f00jvrQS0poF3eAhnd-D21vEIhtGLaxLROMCDwB0HrfqQl7EEzofX4V5Rh9A3pRuNJ3tAYyGwrRyBkXuKHVXH-7kJRHjrbW_rmJs7ky7Qm2CPC3Om6pQ=s4320" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4320" data-original-width="3240" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhoGs2j0n50kgp6I-4qpWej2--pcXre7hhYRUopXj6-oCLXigwv2f-dSZnd9-IL2bcTDXbtv4f00jvrQS0poF3eAhnd-D21vEIhtGLaxLROMCDwB0HrfqQl7EEzofX4V5Rh9A3pRuNJ3tAYyGwrRyBkXuKHVXH-7kJRHjrbW_rmJs7ky7Qm2CPC3Om6pQ=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br />And all the while I was wondering what exciting development the rolling news cycle would spew forth in the couple of hours I was out of the house. I remember the old days when you used to get your news through the letterbox at breakfast time, and then maybe a telly update in the evening if you could be bothered to switch on for it. Life was definitely better when there was less news.<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Turns out I actually had to wait a few hours for the next Tory scandal. But there it was, inevitable. This time we got a leaked photo of the garden of 10 Downing Street on 15 May, 2020:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDmwdir4z8EJskQeRNHNwHWhvPuAx3AnxEn6vf8xa-CTZzbr3H_sN8iWPBugYwL0j0OQtkWP48Bx_P58kEihZi8l1C-vcuFeDxC9iwBEe4uOeOeD6Cq7hGDEVXEc0JeY_S3ZwMIS1EWPEjQHCCwsXM_L6V8_doHL7UfNVv1SL462wCeIn3iBu3HY25tw=s713" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="713" data-original-width="620" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDmwdir4z8EJskQeRNHNwHWhvPuAx3AnxEn6vf8xa-CTZzbr3H_sN8iWPBugYwL0j0OQtkWP48Bx_P58kEihZi8l1C-vcuFeDxC9iwBEe4uOeOeD6Cq7hGDEVXEc0JeY_S3ZwMIS1EWPEjQHCCwsXM_L6V8_doHL7UfNVv1SL462wCeIn3iBu3HY25tw=w348-h400" width="348" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A "work meeting." Of course it is. When this photo was taken I was on my own in a cramped dingy bedsit, taking photos of my flowering cactus for entertainment and cutting up magazines to make a postcard for my friend Charlie because I was bored, lonely and afraid:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEinmEnxtvcq2MU_1439rkH70lIf6ddz8QBx4K0Ig-fNICACKF_ZHvu--R3MXNhsvRTPeVc4cFJiNKFsrkwKXJIiyvlsXOc_H_9MXa15rJzdvO4NjH8WAmmtwjh1D7OqUblnFOfm7dVyU6itZsmiAA4wfPk4nZcKQ1LSN7f-1F3XIfPmqnXkwysY3iVZsQ=s4320" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3240" data-original-width="4320" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEinmEnxtvcq2MU_1439rkH70lIf6ddz8QBx4K0Ig-fNICACKF_ZHvu--R3MXNhsvRTPeVc4cFJiNKFsrkwKXJIiyvlsXOc_H_9MXa15rJzdvO4NjH8WAmmtwjh1D7OqUblnFOfm7dVyU6itZsmiAA4wfPk4nZcKQ1LSN7f-1F3XIfPmqnXkwysY3iVZsQ=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'd left my flat 16 days out of 54, for hurried walks or dashes to the supermarket, since the start of lockdown (I know this because I marked those days on the calendar). I didn't have an internet connection or TV. My boss phoned me once a week to check I was ok and that was the only person I regularly spoke to. Going out felt dangerous and terrifying. Police and the coastguard patrolled the Rec telling people who sat on the grass or used the gym equipment to move on. Again, I took photos of it for something to do:<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_tw1Vq-ef0gPwWiNXZ1aLfwFKff0POzbsZIKZaibhS4go5R3PvDSFt5mTlVAZjBmWvhjX5gCMHtSnwX77VUBvTYr8FUkwGki9UKr85UyyyTCwhZAL0DnY0iLwWlljUkBTI7VKq2-oQDZ3VhsLXO2vcioeUMheDVsnxPvBP2ogPnX1wYIT5iCqmDKOgQ=s4320" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3240" data-original-width="4320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_tw1Vq-ef0gPwWiNXZ1aLfwFKff0POzbsZIKZaibhS4go5R3PvDSFt5mTlVAZjBmWvhjX5gCMHtSnwX77VUBvTYr8FUkwGki9UKr85UyyyTCwhZAL0DnY0iLwWlljUkBTI7VKq2-oQDZ3VhsLXO2vcioeUMheDVsnxPvBP2ogPnX1wYIT5iCqmDKOgQ=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEioy_vglYhV5WEdrfTo4ZT-5JfP8X3q-8XGQ6iD-0IK2deQVtNBpDdtyRPaoFEB9ckeIMQ8b4p3AkNZCUh1_VAVC2vvkeShErfiVPqiqkgU_YQyFObekKyfO0AXqXBSgun-kf5627btoOub3vHBWih2Pvz1OQMoTI4hIxn5gIzc3V3eMKXDW0OIcWUvfw=s4320" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3240" data-original-width="4320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEioy_vglYhV5WEdrfTo4ZT-5JfP8X3q-8XGQ6iD-0IK2deQVtNBpDdtyRPaoFEB9ckeIMQ8b4p3AkNZCUh1_VAVC2vvkeShErfiVPqiqkgU_YQyFObekKyfO0AXqXBSgun-kf5627btoOub3vHBWih2Pvz1OQMoTI4hIxn5gIzc3V3eMKXDW0OIcWUvfw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRTCICrJW-NULRB2b3uMePgrLzpequgKHNh6LYSyOpIbOMY4em4q9YDMe3HhnwmRqIjYmeoejLEYATYQ_6lN5uNoBtu5xq6i57na87LujrDJ0LN5UCMgRiZZhxiL6zBlIlOD-k8FYzlehptzebWFGDP0m-WTEgfEh_ncnV-d01gjXyatYbdVbi-4fRww=s4320" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3240" data-original-width="4320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRTCICrJW-NULRB2b3uMePgrLzpequgKHNh6LYSyOpIbOMY4em4q9YDMe3HhnwmRqIjYmeoejLEYATYQ_6lN5uNoBtu5xq6i57na87LujrDJ0LN5UCMgRiZZhxiL6zBlIlOD-k8FYzlehptzebWFGDP0m-WTEgfEh_ncnV-d01gjXyatYbdVbi-4fRww=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p>The patrols stopped after the Dominic Cummings weekend (<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-52784290" target="_blank">May 23-24</a>). After that, the Rec used to get so packed I didn't <i>want</i> to go out. That was when things got really bad for me. I don't remember anything much from the summer months but I know I cried a lot.<br /></p><p>So forgive me if I loathe these lying, self-serving bastards who used a pandemic to line their pockets and carried on doing exactly what they wanted while the rest of us suffered. They should all be in jail.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhDW9LMfghRnY1q0qn_vAR-Ms-BzEhAMPfSoc0X5-OR5VPDXbf3m-f0dunSBJSE7z39z-hB3PZuzMKyhFHnai_njr0GiyZ9_I7NMJ7pvS99BMGFdL8nUno1MxHNgFaP-g9Y4tyGSoTzC7pd0VEJTt9KuQ4JmKLgT75YJr55sXggzavXoJ-714kYLcLPdA=s680" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="680" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhDW9LMfghRnY1q0qn_vAR-Ms-BzEhAMPfSoc0X5-OR5VPDXbf3m-f0dunSBJSE7z39z-hB3PZuzMKyhFHnai_njr0GiyZ9_I7NMJ7pvS99BMGFdL8nUno1MxHNgFaP-g9Y4tyGSoTzC7pd0VEJTt9KuQ4JmKLgT75YJr55sXggzavXoJ-714kYLcLPdA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p>Today's Photo: Tree Triptych</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg122y8eXzCaypQ-LLix8hYdoKG-gB2zkU4iOSeZyRP6l6y3k25tKKdhGn4S4mAocL_Rx89fPb_rTAYWBJZnCKYWAWq7ifzlZWioudSerRjlbPn3U75jClLMWvCwbaZ9dhFCNPdajipqbAnQyx-WjKzwrbvMEc2BEpqFYFOZEt9tez_6rEhO3llomIzKA=s4320" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3240" data-original-width="4320" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg122y8eXzCaypQ-LLix8hYdoKG-gB2zkU4iOSeZyRP6l6y3k25tKKdhGn4S4mAocL_Rx89fPb_rTAYWBJZnCKYWAWq7ifzlZWioudSerRjlbPn3U75jClLMWvCwbaZ9dhFCNPdajipqbAnQyx-WjKzwrbvMEc2BEpqFYFOZEt9tez_6rEhO3llomIzKA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj_ISVFQgrLRp8T2I3FklCJSAh6pmFPC0wZPL2Vw6w6mLbYFB8-Forjsthf_Em5MCBrTG7vmw83kgNPGSiiz-_5X0KoB4uZh9_Qi09fTOgjq_HIwX4aeZh7alFnZg2Qp4g76-pbqdCVHd9TxbNWSCNN-x4_TRxAVazdP2PON4eLO4x0QI8BL3wRQHJAiA=s4320" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3240" data-original-width="4320" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj_ISVFQgrLRp8T2I3FklCJSAh6pmFPC0wZPL2Vw6w6mLbYFB8-Forjsthf_Em5MCBrTG7vmw83kgNPGSiiz-_5X0KoB4uZh9_Qi09fTOgjq_HIwX4aeZh7alFnZg2Qp4g76-pbqdCVHd9TxbNWSCNN-x4_TRxAVazdP2PON4eLO4x0QI8BL3wRQHJAiA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGteBIvD0ncMNa1UwQVcHPoL4xOaahCv9GArPo-e6X2NOP-hSW123MmDzpuhJ4MhFHwPJ5AtOogKMYUb2QNaw7fwMqnHKGf2nASnvJ2xHHsOi4I6xWFpb-QWP0Egr4AHxyrXB7TO3xky4Z0m8WeN8Hbqz2zrvlBVkudthUlJsPrqFIodNGbn0c6NR7Zw=s4320" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3240" data-original-width="4320" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGteBIvD0ncMNa1UwQVcHPoL4xOaahCv9GArPo-e6X2NOP-hSW123MmDzpuhJ4MhFHwPJ5AtOogKMYUb2QNaw7fwMqnHKGf2nASnvJ2xHHsOi4I6xWFpb-QWP0Egr4AHxyrXB7TO3xky4Z0m8WeN8Hbqz2zrvlBVkudthUlJsPrqFIodNGbn0c6NR7Zw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p>One Fine Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332431189064825125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886922015389923377.post-47390889932555104422021-12-18T22:39:00.004+00:002021-12-19T22:30:05.893+00:00December 18, 2021<p>My brother, his wife and their dog treated me to lunch in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyPM1obFNmk" target="_blank">Penarth</a> today so I'm claiming the 18th as my birthday proper this year. </p><p>It was wonderful to see them even though I refused hugs for covid reasons ("Get away from me, you're from England!"). </p><p>NB the social distancing didn't apply to the dog:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvEMIcfIr_-wXbiwnOmhGwuzfnkKdFCWWbbWvvcWEVW5DX1KoAuFE3VL8BRDyN8FCVrqw0PSjBeT0WLXm2cZztPR4lLpRYDWU-QSYkPQmrVniaHBuAbVdUGIsg5dDbjzAMdrvDaGQxjklGUrlbn4IdZ0Pcl5ti8FS2JBMP8TgYbNqcvdMVXun7ggnoWg=s4320" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3240" data-original-width="4320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvEMIcfIr_-wXbiwnOmhGwuzfnkKdFCWWbbWvvcWEVW5DX1KoAuFE3VL8BRDyN8FCVrqw0PSjBeT0WLXm2cZztPR4lLpRYDWU-QSYkPQmrVniaHBuAbVdUGIsg5dDbjzAMdrvDaGQxjklGUrlbn4IdZ0Pcl5ti8FS2JBMP8TgYbNqcvdMVXun7ggnoWg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>As well as buying lunch my brother also apologised for a deeply hurtful thing he did to me in 2014.</p><p>I've barely spoken to him since then; I was too deeply wounded and couldn't find a way of putting how I felt into words. <br /></p><p>The tone of the apology was about as sincere as a Tory apology; by the sound of it he wasn't entirely certain what he'd done wrong. This was probably because the <i>mea culpa </i>was entirely due to the machinations of his wife, a woman whose brother died in an accident in his twenties and who consequently has no time for our sibling bullshit. </p><p>We'd talked about the hurtful thing <a href="https://onefineweasel.blogspot.com/2021/08/august-3-2021.html" target="_blank">when she came to see me</a> in the summer because she is all about love and connection and the continuing strained relationship was breaking her heart. Our discussion was the first time I'd ever managed to speak freely about it, and I'd found I was still as distraught as when it happened.<br /></p><p>So she'd gone home and had a word, and today, after a giant prompt from the missus, he said it, he said what I've been waiting to hear all that time: I'm sorry, I was angry, I did hurtful things, I was wrong. </p><p>It came out of the blue and I was so taken aback all I could say was "Thank you."</p><p>I'll need some time to process it, I'm not sure I'll ever really trust him again no matter what he says, but bloody hell, what a birthday present.</p><p>Today's Photo: Loved Ones</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcOWYb6QGNkT3rAqVGesDB9CclAtw632GSTlLY6PsGurQHJhLePHu62WzaXNaVZA3I5JYeSVt_2ykWucDDhMkOWXMUJcpk31BA2fjVriWJ8ZxFA-6ex8FG7LcLxqvN2b44POMKYmpEbodd39FqtAayNiqqCBXsZSbOXtbUI3Z_VE57LTrqmydFqicoaw=s4320" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4320" data-original-width="3240" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcOWYb6QGNkT3rAqVGesDB9CclAtw632GSTlLY6PsGurQHJhLePHu62WzaXNaVZA3I5JYeSVt_2ykWucDDhMkOWXMUJcpk31BA2fjVriWJ8ZxFA-6ex8FG7LcLxqvN2b44POMKYmpEbodd39FqtAayNiqqCBXsZSbOXtbUI3Z_VE57LTrqmydFqicoaw=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><br /> <br /><p></p>One Fine Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332431189064825125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886922015389923377.post-34058414295198395142021-12-17T19:54:00.002+00:002021-12-18T22:42:12.459+00:00December 17, 2021<p>Necking paracetamol helped get me through the morning job then straight out to do some Christmas shopping afterwards, but around lunchtime I was feeling awful again so I came home and went back to bed.</p><p>I've probably had worse birthdays, but I can't remember them. Postponing cards and presents until I'm more in the mood.</p><p>Leaving <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/dec/09/recovering-from-burnout-ive-become-very-self-protective-how-do-i-step-back-into-the-swim" target="_blank">this</a> here because I'll probably need to read it again in the new year.</p><p>Happy Birthday to me. I am 20,089 days old.</p><p>Today's Photo: Bale</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhP7SAsGu_8Bm6xsGpgEkzNCgMXuODPtphLt2VItwZqlw7JcMH_cGOmOZVbrcVuly-3mLQG7x1RLTIi4rQv5jGQk06DuXR_2gX9XodcBPnxgLh-nfEzve7TTr41xasfvgw3ci8LVFf2krtI9xYyOCdXA_emnmuuyUMcbXIQzyyLGhroa8_UwJY02FIdpg=s4320" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3240" data-original-width="4320" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhP7SAsGu_8Bm6xsGpgEkzNCgMXuODPtphLt2VItwZqlw7JcMH_cGOmOZVbrcVuly-3mLQG7x1RLTIi4rQv5jGQk06DuXR_2gX9XodcBPnxgLh-nfEzve7TTr41xasfvgw3ci8LVFf2krtI9xYyOCdXA_emnmuuyUMcbXIQzyyLGhroa8_UwJY02FIdpg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p> <br /></p>One Fine Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332431189064825125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886922015389923377.post-60899131832590798902021-12-16T22:14:00.000+00:002021-12-16T22:14:11.784+00:00December 16, 2021<p>Only two weeks left of this bullshit year.</p><p>I woke up with a slightly sore arm, then the side effects from the booster got incrementally worse through the day to the point where I was sat at work tonight with my eyes closed and my head in my hands, wheezing, shivering and groaning every time I moved. It was also difficult to stay awake. It was possibly an error of judgement on my part to go in. </p><p>Got a lift home from a kind colleague, rah.</p><p>And now, an early night.</p><p>Today's Photo: Feels Like I'm Made Out Of Gingerbread</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXB-ucc0WsZ2WgzVQVlzpaczwq7MkcGrPI9Bh_cJHXhHmM-CeOVJzIBFQB9Trgtv4pV5goGqP63VxnTDDbQak6r_9mNeQnpK1CigfVW4FK3M17o-80HxSNdcDK7QhYsW0pBCdxT3v02Y6buJT4l4n2ZgDQs-in6cBbWLMFXpuwO2pbJy1CmcdjIphtIA=s4107" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4107" data-original-width="3080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXB-ucc0WsZ2WgzVQVlzpaczwq7MkcGrPI9Bh_cJHXhHmM-CeOVJzIBFQB9Trgtv4pV5goGqP63VxnTDDbQak6r_9mNeQnpK1CigfVW4FK3M17o-80HxSNdcDK7QhYsW0pBCdxT3v02Y6buJT4l4n2ZgDQs-in6cBbWLMFXpuwO2pbJy1CmcdjIphtIA=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><br /> <br /><p></p><p><br /></p>One Fine Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332431189064825125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886922015389923377.post-91777943177392785452021-12-15T23:43:00.001+00:002021-12-21T22:04:40.269+00:00December 15, 2021<p>Got the booster jab tonight. It was a Moderna, so I now have the words 'funky cold Moderna' stuck in my head because that's the kind of stupid thing my brain does.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_vRZxBwiIjQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="_vRZxBwiIjQ"></iframe></div><br />Felt really low afterwards - had a little cry in the carpark. This was despair at the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/15/uk-covid-cases-at-record-level-with-78610-new-infections" target="_blank">news</a>, fury at the intransigence of those who are meant to be leading us through this, heartbreak at the fact the bloke who gave me the injection had been at work since 8am and had only had a half hour break in 12 hours and was visible knackered but was still trying so hard to be jolly and kind.<br /><p></p><p>It didn't have to be like this, with hundreds of thousands of avoidable deaths, NHS staff pushed beyond endurance, and cases sky-rocketing again. It feels like being trapped in a never-ending nightmare because of people's selfishness, greed, impatience and stupidity.</p><p>I should be glad I'm treble-jabbed but I'm just worn out.<br /></p><p>Today's Photo: Tempus Fugit</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjVmx17HsG1he62kFKjflJqoQWGH9hmUISBBJwYFusDIPp8hgzYrCEnM3DVsc_qn_rKG0Bx7_oWPvpWA_YTfBI8wNFzHrTLq169YG1T2ptdjOeiP4lVxi6QXxLsnivprODoFoeggLlR_H7wDMhMfgC0B3gsmL-MWf3BDyN7G3b5p-g5gTRWQ_4Gj5b7mw=s4320" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3240" data-original-width="4320" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjVmx17HsG1he62kFKjflJqoQWGH9hmUISBBJwYFusDIPp8hgzYrCEnM3DVsc_qn_rKG0Bx7_oWPvpWA_YTfBI8wNFzHrTLq169YG1T2ptdjOeiP4lVxi6QXxLsnivprODoFoeggLlR_H7wDMhMfgC0B3gsmL-MWf3BDyN7G3b5p-g5gTRWQ_4Gj5b7mw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>One Fine Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332431189064825125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886922015389923377.post-44211499914814576842021-12-14T22:48:00.000+00:002021-12-14T22:48:40.825+00:00December 14, 2021<p>My new bar of soap is haunted but that's <a href="https://www.lenstore.co.uk/eyecare/pareidolia-science" target="_blank">ok</a>:</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxT4FO6PAvpmxaqAXXDACKPgldoPHqp0n5U4DpbwBqu0HYqQzpwSBdc-YOReN_t0lhLW1V0rq4qeDfZ0Me52hsh2FWFpVcfOwedUcWZKGfoG5UdgKqvBUtuQBL3131RCeIfBjTi_bPxTANz-PZaBn6POBrIKSI9R5p_ApfMgVn6fNnuQxu6aQnJcrN1Q=s4320" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3240" data-original-width="4320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxT4FO6PAvpmxaqAXXDACKPgldoPHqp0n5U4DpbwBqu0HYqQzpwSBdc-YOReN_t0lhLW1V0rq4qeDfZ0Me52hsh2FWFpVcfOwedUcWZKGfoG5UdgKqvBUtuQBL3131RCeIfBjTi_bPxTANz-PZaBn6POBrIKSI9R5p_ApfMgVn6fNnuQxu6aQnJcrN1Q=s320" width="320" /></a> <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDKEu_fXt0YgJ8knBOSDxmM2tcSdus9t7iPKDvnFEyxhM8OhKMjaW3qmsHGNoeb9nVCs7xJkj0Qu44csV1g8o_jodJXgE37eBBBukQi8GxvGkC0vAsfyOoc4rHdNUkoatqYOdFy0lGKDwn3AAxi-VmoygnCkmM3t-zDOroauEpM11G-uMBQTvwK275Fw=s942" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="942" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDKEu_fXt0YgJ8knBOSDxmM2tcSdus9t7iPKDvnFEyxhM8OhKMjaW3qmsHGNoeb9nVCs7xJkj0Qu44csV1g8o_jodJXgE37eBBBukQi8GxvGkC0vAsfyOoc4rHdNUkoatqYOdFy0lGKDwn3AAxi-VmoygnCkmM3t-zDOroauEpM11G-uMBQTvwK275Fw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br />The new bank card arrived this morning so I am back in the land of the living. I quite enjoyed my non-consumerist, essentials-only week.<p></p><p>Idly browsing the gender studies section during a quiet moment on my library shift tonight, I found the greatest opening paragraph ever written:</p><p style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;"><i> "One memorable evening, I mentioned over the family dinner that it was time to get our newly acquired dog desexed. At this point I should explain that my older son has a strange, unchild-like interest in taxidermy. Thus, ever since this boisterous, loving canine entered the household, my son has been campaigning for the dog, after it dies, to live on not just in our hearts, but in a tasteful, formaldehyde-preserved pose in the living room. To my son, then, my remark about neutering offered the possibility of a stopgap until that day should come. Dropping his cutlery in excitement, he exclaimed, "We could have his testicles made into a key ring!"</i></p><p style="text-align: left;">How could anyone not want to read on after that?</p><p style="text-align: left;">(<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/jan/18/testosterone-rex-review-cordelia-fine" target="_blank"><i>Testosterone Rex</i></a> by Cordelia Fine.)</p><p>Today's Photo: Winter Blossom <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEio8ZVoF979VhDKOvw2_5SEJpnVFg0TXnE9GA_CQtMEDfeRE-g6qctfrZsNPFVSfHsmNYAa_lZOQsDUx7cRaH2rvVKKkqEYI2OKa3QoHsJGb99iLUWRdJ6dAL8rc1dhUlk_9KAQ25GPzOoFlEGUImWTZaE6umLvpxy5CO6rUpH_m6F0d296fXXf8BBEHg=s4320" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4320" data-original-width="3240" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEio8ZVoF979VhDKOvw2_5SEJpnVFg0TXnE9GA_CQtMEDfeRE-g6qctfrZsNPFVSfHsmNYAa_lZOQsDUx7cRaH2rvVKKkqEYI2OKa3QoHsJGb99iLUWRdJ6dAL8rc1dhUlk_9KAQ25GPzOoFlEGUImWTZaE6umLvpxy5CO6rUpH_m6F0d296fXXf8BBEHg=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>One Fine Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332431189064825125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886922015389923377.post-68932976875883579722021-12-13T22:41:00.006+00:002021-12-15T23:00:33.918+00:00December 13, 2021<p>Hey, guess who found their purse at work tonight, untouched and in exactly the same place they left it last week?</p><p>Today's Photo: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjmDDWWbp8U" target="_blank">I'm Such A Twat</a></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhNguxXYegA49nGhoF91buou7visfSG9GRcYnnrah59UzooriwhouvdiWi9ahJXiGcDsr9utlGMjkWeMIRrXSzFw0wUuNmL9oGfb4rY18btwlgxelgRPcmMURPOpgU3xVDwrgokDZ4hw1Y07G21M5-zAEsRsrbG9TyCat2XPPs7hFum7cqElS15jYvMaA=s4320" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3240" data-original-width="4320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhNguxXYegA49nGhoF91buou7visfSG9GRcYnnrah59UzooriwhouvdiWi9ahJXiGcDsr9utlGMjkWeMIRrXSzFw0wUuNmL9oGfb4rY18btwlgxelgRPcmMURPOpgU3xVDwrgokDZ4hw1Y07G21M5-zAEsRsrbG9TyCat2XPPs7hFum7cqElS15jYvMaA=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> <br /><p></p>One Fine Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332431189064825125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886922015389923377.post-44545946288423303562021-12-12T23:56:00.032+00:002021-12-13T02:18:50.999+00:00December 12, 2021<p>We're deep into Sagittarius season now so I was delighted to find this serious and penetrating essay on centaurs today:</p><p><a href="https://www.tor.com/2020/05/25/how-does-a-centaur-eat-anyway/" target="_blank"><i>How Does A Centaur Eat, Anyway?</i></a><i> </i></p><p>It came from a long Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/understatesmen/status/1469768686755979265" target="_blank">thread</a> about the tallness or otherwise of centaurs and it was good to see so many people giving the matter so much thought<i>.</i></p><p>From the same thread:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEivN5zxd2yw2HGeobHvjKM1kJrjjqTKVso8zbPYw_VpnD0sUC-AH2dDFLibcOPAvsI58F1adtSlPJWHD7ZMNJFQVp82covBGZHs-nzNpWI3yj7ozmvnKywCq24vKFNUlmOW7CVj0gI_L5qRI0i2Qkqq-Pl5ebijOcyL9ORa0x4XVbs-1lkaVOERj3McEg=s642" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="642" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEivN5zxd2yw2HGeobHvjKM1kJrjjqTKVso8zbPYw_VpnD0sUC-AH2dDFLibcOPAvsI58F1adtSlPJWHD7ZMNJFQVp82covBGZHs-nzNpWI3yj7ozmvnKywCq24vKFNUlmOW7CVj0gI_L5qRI0i2Qkqq-Pl5ebijOcyL9ORa0x4XVbs-1lkaVOERj3McEg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p>I love Twitter.</p><p>Went out for a long aimless walk this afternoon to stretch the old legs. I was harvesting graffiti; up a grim alley filled mostly with charmless tagging I liked that someone had doodled household appliances:</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi5L6awihFRdYjtz1Hh5V518Xz6Ixqr0ANURaW1RWeZac1TgdW3ML00uc4Dx1uKcvjogOiq5rfxOzPVsIpX2Vh3ImU-sMya75k1BRRu1Mh1jVbsWJpqLiGmVZTupqExbS_J35oCJuYmRlHraGIfmvhapLV_CXIEFVhqwqlYu4oGno8q__QOmn_nXI_Ziw=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi5L6awihFRdYjtz1Hh5V518Xz6Ixqr0ANURaW1RWeZac1TgdW3ML00uc4Dx1uKcvjogOiq5rfxOzPVsIpX2Vh3ImU-sMya75k1BRRu1Mh1jVbsWJpqLiGmVZTupqExbS_J35oCJuYmRlHraGIfmvhapLV_CXIEFVhqwqlYu4oGno8q__QOmn_nXI_Ziw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhhBO35FdPnvQ07EGCJ_1TvNkZ4uEdD6LCSZNFhTUXNben8rrJ2S-Csa6SGw2aeLdplHEx14iro9NXKZ9NKmXMYGcuvpkItPw_G-qJqwAW-MD--Sg3I-KT4TCSuKqGOYL_7SA_rVPgnkUSXWXWET22qAZqhzUc6J2Mx5ECdUQCuxNY0S0VARl1ZxWRFxg=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhhBO35FdPnvQ07EGCJ_1TvNkZ4uEdD6LCSZNFhTUXNben8rrJ2S-Csa6SGw2aeLdplHEx14iro9NXKZ9NKmXMYGcuvpkItPw_G-qJqwAW-MD--Sg3I-KT4TCSuKqGOYL_7SA_rVPgnkUSXWXWET22qAZqhzUc6J2Mx5ECdUQCuxNY0S0VARl1ZxWRFxg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p>There was also this very amazing garage door:<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzAYnxXEB1FPy6IkZeQsBNLEcuXO1wWNt_8fmQ2l4sArpWq26sD_h4BLA3nc0yHCocnTTodv_jTXUHrqk7_C-29-xeB8Kqd-SffQvPqOMBIjwClrnUVxS-0ZarpLUsB-iGmeq44rQ2acdlpDpx9q8y-8P7QR61f1G5iPaj0agaKrxO2rb4ugEORcyL3g=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzAYnxXEB1FPy6IkZeQsBNLEcuXO1wWNt_8fmQ2l4sArpWq26sD_h4BLA3nc0yHCocnTTodv_jTXUHrqk7_C-29-xeB8Kqd-SffQvPqOMBIjwClrnUVxS-0ZarpLUsB-iGmeq44rQ2acdlpDpx9q8y-8P7QR61f1G5iPaj0agaKrxO2rb4ugEORcyL3g=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg5Xx7Vh9BroF0yBlpu7ObUqS2tMm0eEqNVzTkbfxbcguQRBGNp65P2iDsG2Zp_T8yPnhhqB1Li9H5i0nt7gUZMIY_iLKKSuFwsEP_rnSpfD5KNRyhcYeynqS4KHKaww4Zi0P250Cg7nmpsCN47UZhJ4DvrUH0QQGUlLmBtu-OOL1XSEmdo8WeGYASCLw=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg5Xx7Vh9BroF0yBlpu7ObUqS2tMm0eEqNVzTkbfxbcguQRBGNp65P2iDsG2Zp_T8yPnhhqB1Li9H5i0nt7gUZMIY_iLKKSuFwsEP_rnSpfD5KNRyhcYeynqS4KHKaww4Zi0P250Cg7nmpsCN47UZhJ4DvrUH0QQGUlLmBtu-OOL1XSEmdo8WeGYASCLw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></p><p>Elsewhere, I found a van belonging to the fifth emergency service:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgM0mpcuXsaFSKcSgTeG8BdaYYBugr4iRiVd1gL5Ll1RHWlUVK9dB35TsmWcMF_oPUU-pw3E7jkYb6VDaLfcmPsa03_7FU-7uMSP5fvRG8-giHdx5Vn8azqSmcSWnJlZc7jjtBTjjgIxb6CVZMOQutZTUW1XV9LNR21dJqhWj9NzQi1ATtlD0UB8oJAmA=s720" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgM0mpcuXsaFSKcSgTeG8BdaYYBugr4iRiVd1gL5Ll1RHWlUVK9dB35TsmWcMF_oPUU-pw3E7jkYb6VDaLfcmPsa03_7FU-7uMSP5fvRG8-giHdx5Vn8azqSmcSWnJlZc7jjtBTjjgIxb6CVZMOQutZTUW1XV9LNR21dJqhWj9NzQi1ATtlD0UB8oJAmA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p>And then I wound up in <a href="https://www.visitacity.com/en/cardiff/attractions/alexandra-gardens" target="_blank">Alexandra Gardens</a>, where I sat for a while by the war memorial thinking about a thing I read recently, <a href="http://scarf.rcahms.gov.uk/content/case-study-being-british-being-somebody-else" target="_blank"><i>Being British, Being Somebody Else</i></a>, and the point it makes about commemoration and the state.<br /></p><p>That led to thinking about how this imposing, immovable, fenced-off memorial compares with Hamburg's <a href="https://www.shalev-gerz.net/portfolio/monument-against-fascism/" target="_blank">Monument Against Fascism</a>, which invited intimate interaction from people as it slowly sank into the ground, ultimately disappearing from view.<br /></p><p>And that was all mixed up with thinking about covid; how the head-spinning number of daily deaths are neatly quantified to remove all trace of the individual and thus abstract the human cost.</p><p>Just like the Alexandra Gardens war memorial overlooks the <i>actual </i>dead and their horrible, needless deaths. Except the memorial doesn't even touch on numbers, it's pure abstraction/glorification. </p><p>That got me thinking about <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Wilfred-Owen" target="_blank">Wilfred Owen</a>.<br /></p><p>I have too many thoughts sometimes.</p><p>Today's Photo: <a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46560/dulce-et-decorum-est" target="_blank">Dulce Et Decorum Est</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjtZObIW60gy4jgZ-h-uy5udQOsw2ZNfT6oD0if3A4Wkb6t0r6Mf91bXYwdR2EHWFw4HdZCUzxJjGKdzIcSk78Vd4UC2zwGmOlOyTjfdZEwcuMx37_LkeOQMImmrjcSWM2LVluGwQ48z64ti1Br_NNh3OL6G4g7QnLKb2y6BULDN0Nq_t0jhweQ_Tu4iA=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjtZObIW60gy4jgZ-h-uy5udQOsw2ZNfT6oD0if3A4Wkb6t0r6Mf91bXYwdR2EHWFw4HdZCUzxJjGKdzIcSk78Vd4UC2zwGmOlOyTjfdZEwcuMx37_LkeOQMImmrjcSWM2LVluGwQ48z64ti1Br_NNh3OL6G4g7QnLKb2y6BULDN0Nq_t0jhweQ_Tu4iA=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p> <br /></p>One Fine Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332431189064825125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886922015389923377.post-19236183875681538112021-12-11T21:09:00.005+00:002021-12-13T02:29:40.915+00:00December 11, 2021<p>The new bank card didn't arrive in the post this morning. </p><p>This was great news. Unable to do any shopping, I could let myself pretend I didn't have anything else to do either.</p><p>So the day was spent reading, Twittering and listening to music. </p><p>It was a perfect Saturday and I haven't felt this happy for ages.<br /></p><p>A Radiohead binge was particularly rewarding:<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LCJblaUkkfc" width="320" youtube-src-id="LCJblaUkkfc"></iframe></div><p>This is how I dance around my flat:</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cfOa1a8hYP8" width="320" youtube-src-id="cfOa1a8hYP8"></iframe></div><p></p><p>Not today though. Too much effort.<br /></p><p></p><p>Today's Photo: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFkzRNyygfk" target="_blank">I Wish I Was Special</a><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhm96ggLTj6oHrBr14lBf3ibnrTSemRt6IyZ_oMdN4viTyYeAzWOuoKbXeVdK9OFB9lZUJlmXWtzrU_xIOKpXIL1vpV9a5qC4fd8ihvrZfkZcO8n319pgsQSCOSi35LV7R6i95ycHIkzgSffpnnUgHgHMqYFFAVScw6YyqOZhmxTufDiGh05EC7nWvzsA=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhm96ggLTj6oHrBr14lBf3ibnrTSemRt6IyZ_oMdN4viTyYeAzWOuoKbXeVdK9OFB9lZUJlmXWtzrU_xIOKpXIL1vpV9a5qC4fd8ihvrZfkZcO8n319pgsQSCOSi35LV7R6i95ycHIkzgSffpnnUgHgHMqYFFAVScw6YyqOZhmxTufDiGh05EC7nWvzsA=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>One Fine Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332431189064825125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886922015389923377.post-91832829304239993522021-12-10T22:40:00.000+00:002021-12-10T22:40:59.689+00:00December 10, 2021<p>There were a couple of lovely, non-depressing things in the Graun today.</p><p>1. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/dec/10/how-to-beat-the-winter-dread" target="_blank"><i>How to beat the winter dread</i></a></p><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;"><i>The main difference between Trømso and the UK, she says, is that people
here don’t prepare for winter. </i></div><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;"><i>“It’s shocking to me that no workplace or
even individual prepares for daylight saving ending. We should all be
thinking about taking it a bit easier that week, giving us some space to
sleep more and do less. Instead we get mad at ourselves for being more
tired, rather than understanding that this is what it means to live<b> </b>in tune with the seasons.”</i> <br /></div><p>Yep. Over the last 200 years we've divorced ourselves from everything natural and then wonder why we're struggling. I would love to reel modern life back a bit so that we don't push ourselves so hard all the time. Employment, the economy, we made that shit up yo. Be more <a href="https://thebailliegiffordprize.co.uk/books/being-beast-by-charles-foster" target="_blank">badger</a>. Be more <a href="https://www.boredpanda.com/how-to-be-a-cat-funny-illustrations-last-lemon/" target="_blank">cat</a>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhIoCb5VlQnGXW4WnkZU7ZXldqZApq79Qco9x3kn8McUqEbKORSqg-9yVHvVThUMDeGKpcpTbiNtM_cTelM0lUMfN-tGzpLbsIx3dcSg9N5sKnotyAlPa5nRB9RVBP6xE2qOP1LP0H_sCZJg1vbB6wK4HLucIyFshDj3J9NJzzKa6Ko6SvM3TuS1_5dcA=s809" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="809" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhIoCb5VlQnGXW4WnkZU7ZXldqZApq79Qco9x3kn8McUqEbKORSqg-9yVHvVThUMDeGKpcpTbiNtM_cTelM0lUMfN-tGzpLbsIx3dcSg9N5sKnotyAlPa5nRB9RVBP6xE2qOP1LP0H_sCZJg1vbB6wK4HLucIyFshDj3J9NJzzKa6Ko6SvM3TuS1_5dcA=w400-h226" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>[pic: <a href="http://lastlemon.com/" target="_blank">Last Lemon</a>]</i></span><br /></div><div><p></p><p></p><p>2. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/dec/10/what-was-the-nicest-thing-to-happen-to-you-in-2021-surely-something-good-happened" target="_blank"><i>What was the nicest thing to happen to you in 2021?</i></a></p><p>First Dog On The Moon cartoons were the nicest thing to happen to me this year. Getting away in my van was the nicest thing to happen to me this year. Surviving a pandemic was the nicest thing to happen to me this year.</p><p>Today's Photo: Snowflake</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhHT6_tfYOB6Jv8w5jAp4Mps1whBqCiJhfpMJb-BHyXJdnJFpGuJHZKZ3u11Khmh22BFRBpNHZqAUCDErW0TyJgDO5HO7ZD6b_aLc5OHKv-Bi0w57m4xWyGMpUm0rmL3Uf4-iPkuPsSgHSar-iz96lRTyiAQ79iiJdm_oNW43-ZrHfzLL0ANwGpsZGjHw=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhHT6_tfYOB6Jv8w5jAp4Mps1whBqCiJhfpMJb-BHyXJdnJFpGuJHZKZ3u11Khmh22BFRBpNHZqAUCDErW0TyJgDO5HO7ZD6b_aLc5OHKv-Bi0w57m4xWyGMpUm0rmL3Uf4-iPkuPsSgHSar-iz96lRTyiAQ79iiJdm_oNW43-ZrHfzLL0ANwGpsZGjHw=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><p><br /></p></div>One Fine Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332431189064825125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886922015389923377.post-41473013738849482762021-12-09T20:35:00.002+00:002021-12-09T22:00:03.589+00:00December 9, 2021<p>Bidding on the pre-loved cat Christmas jumper <a href="https://onefineweasel.blogspot.com/2021/11/november-23-2021.html" target="_blank">last week</a> got a bit stupid - it was cheaper new on Amazon - so I bowed out gracefully and directed my attentions elsewhere.</p><p>Consequently I am now the proud owner of this, er, garment, which I shall transform into a Christmas jumper by sticking on <a href="https://onefineweasel.blogspot.com/2021/12/december-2-2021.html" target="_blank">Idris' hat</a> (it's 2-D) with some double-sided sellotape and maybe adding some tinsel somewhere:</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD-UVvJKI5AbhRcp_4nWp3ZCqfGUGQ_jlkccpEBkbHRZUEtxfZ9FOyByopMtdgQ5MqMnmbFw8tg0EfJrpPxBHySMn4SpEYq0o1Lze2mqQlol0oyKTWD_exh9gjUueLbzXKQiVHs9OgcyYd/s1600/oh+no.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD-UVvJKI5AbhRcp_4nWp3ZCqfGUGQ_jlkccpEBkbHRZUEtxfZ9FOyByopMtdgQ5MqMnmbFw8tg0EfJrpPxBHySMn4SpEYq0o1Lze2mqQlol0oyKTWD_exh9gjUueLbzXKQiVHs9OgcyYd/s320/oh+no.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p>Or, I could just wear a standard Christmas jumper. I'll see how brave I feel <a href="https://www.savethechildren.org.uk/christmas-jumper-day" target="_blank">tomorrow</a>.</p><p>I felt a bit better about life today. The purse is still awol but the stuff I bought online at the weekend has started to arrive so I got some present wrapping done. And I closed the million tabs I had open (presents pending, but I can't buy anything until the new bank card arrives), so the laptop's running fast again. Small semblances of control; it's all good.</p><p>The guys were jealous only Idris had a Santa hat so I bought them one too.<br /></p><p></p><p>Today's Photo: It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1YITSh8KBM70VAoVVWLC_kcW8QiH0L4CohgGNyMWMKlIB4P5i76Zd96AToV8A8Cw9pt8MojHixxQ5o4GpEomJiHbn2sskaheTK1DspZ8fpzFkBWDAoJlV5V28rRdorkVhbjAr9EqW1hv/s2048/DSCN1728.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1544" data-original-width="2048" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1YITSh8KBM70VAoVVWLC_kcW8QiH0L4CohgGNyMWMKlIB4P5i76Zd96AToV8A8Cw9pt8MojHixxQ5o4GpEomJiHbn2sskaheTK1DspZ8fpzFkBWDAoJlV5V28rRdorkVhbjAr9EqW1hv/w400-h301/DSCN1728.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>One Fine Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332431189064825125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886922015389923377.post-68315031443697309642021-12-08T20:26:00.004+00:002021-12-08T20:47:48.543+00:00December 8, 2021<p>I've lost my wallet.</p><p>Had it at work last night; don't have it now. <br /></p><p>After checking last night's bag and pockets twelve times over I finally accepted that it wasn't in the bag or any of the pockets.</p><p>Emailed work - they couldn't find it.</p><p>Checked the car - not there.</p><p>The lost property page of the police website advised phoning 101; 101 referred you to the lost property page of the police website. Chocolate fucking teapot.<br /></p><p>The online banking showed nothing amiss, so I froze the bank card then sat on the sofa feeling dejected for many, many hours. </p><p>I'll sort it out tomorrow. Just didn't have the strength today what with [*<i>gestures at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/08/absolute-disgust-reaction-to-footage-of-no-10-aides-laughing-about-lockdown-rules" target="_blank">The</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/RussInCheshire/status/1467354391673982976" target="_blank">Conservative</a> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/dec/08/boris-johnson-grabbing-more-power-amendments-to-oppressive-legislation-uk" target="_blank">Party</a></i>*] everything else.</p><p>Today's Pic: Things I Can't Buy<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAk5fOLm1-nTLkwxUjD60LhvdTjJ2Qf9kwh8kp26tX-4mHHMODh6fqfRMomRYhr8H0cVlb7twOodOewL7KweENw7dLV1IGYA6qRFMRQyS6e91e3VwN0BTDTk3nHzbb7MYIS4zYstlZSLUG/s2048/DSCN1725.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAk5fOLm1-nTLkwxUjD60LhvdTjJ2Qf9kwh8kp26tX-4mHHMODh6fqfRMomRYhr8H0cVlb7twOodOewL7KweENw7dLV1IGYA6qRFMRQyS6e91e3VwN0BTDTk3nHzbb7MYIS4zYstlZSLUG/w400-h300/DSCN1725.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>One Fine Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332431189064825125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886922015389923377.post-69397746065549849622021-12-07T22:50:00.002+00:002021-12-08T18:37:14.786+00:00December 7, 2021<p>Today at the morning job, everybody had something to tell me.</p><p>One of the handymen stopped by for a long, digressive and very amusing chat.</p><p>The colleague who takes over from me when I leave was eager to talk about his weekend and even show me some photos from it; he's normally reserved so I felt very honoured.<br /></p><p>The receptionist asked about my plans for Christmas and from there we got talking about family Christmases and from there she segued into a long description of her brother to which the only possible response was, "Deb, your brother's autistic." This prompted a deep and thoughtful conversation about autism.</p><p>But most surprising of all was <a href="https://onefineweasel.blogspot.com/2021/11/november-8-2021.html" target="_blank">Captain Chaos</a> arriving, and instead of radiating stress like he normally does, all was calm and he even initiated some small talk - a first. He asked if I was from Cardiff; I said, no, Kent. He told me his nan had lived in Dover all her life and when she died they'd scattered her ashes from the top of the White Cliffs.</p><p>Then it transpired that this had happened quite recently, during the first lockdown, so they'd had to do the scattering surreptitiously, at night. Then he told me his dad had died just a few months before that, and that he dreamed about him all the time, often woke up crying, felt guilt and regret about not taking better care of him while he was alive, has been haunted by thoughts of death and dying ever since. He won't succumb to these dark thoughts because of his kids though, he wants to see his kids grow up.<br /></p><p>This was not a conversation I was expecting to have at eight o'clock in the morning with a bloke who never normally speaks to me. But it explained a fair bit. I told him I'd had the same death-thoughts constantly after my dad died 10 years ago. The dreams too - the waking up with a face damp with tears: yes. And oh, the regrets.<br /></p><p>I found after becoming orphaned in my 40s that nobody knows how to have these conversations unless they've gone through it themselves. You need to say these things out loud to another human being, but the people who won't recoil when you start talking about death are few and far between. So I sincerely hope speaking about this stuff heart to heart with someone who understood helped him a little today. It's a heavy burden to bear.<br /></p><p>On a lighter note, before he left we also found out we're both Sagittarians and are equally outraged that we have to work on our birthdays next week. </p><p>After he left I thought about Philip Larkin's <i><a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/48423/the-mower-56d229a740294" target="_blank">The Mower</a></i> and how true, how very true, those last sixteen words are.<br /></p><p>Reporting this unusual turn of events to Deb the receptionist afterwards I mentioned how amazing it was that everybody had confided in me this morning. She said, "You've just got one of those faces."</p><p>When I got home, I wondered what that might look like so I took a selfie of the morning job face:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI9WdR5igBN0BSRRvpK5pPRToNgQYAPT_PU1X4Smzw1_Q4-tBL_rAiteWPJFHlxPHK7a8Lw0fukQ2rLWQ52hk75Ol1FLIoN2qAVdUq6jWku9KP3pcynaOFZ-6xum4OFpAcUP-J1nmJ2L5c/s1510/IMG_20211207_103154%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1157" data-original-width="1510" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI9WdR5igBN0BSRRvpK5pPRToNgQYAPT_PU1X4Smzw1_Q4-tBL_rAiteWPJFHlxPHK7a8Lw0fukQ2rLWQ52hk75Ol1FLIoN2qAVdUq6jWku9KP3pcynaOFZ-6xum4OFpAcUP-J1nmJ2L5c/s320/IMG_20211207_103154%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>How can they tell???</p><p>Today's Photo: Re Leaf</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin2RRqX93jVQgn5vwYKpFGUmnFmmqi_k-jtnFC5JvZD6-_8HmhD5Ax-ztpp_CXsXlJ41hffYYbnIrdWGSO6POENWMSMT4bot6gmXwaDf9kxSY9h0WbrCU2HBosafHdjkdXUpUJd7dBQIQ0/s2048/DSCN1713.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin2RRqX93jVQgn5vwYKpFGUmnFmmqi_k-jtnFC5JvZD6-_8HmhD5Ax-ztpp_CXsXlJ41hffYYbnIrdWGSO6POENWMSMT4bot6gmXwaDf9kxSY9h0WbrCU2HBosafHdjkdXUpUJd7dBQIQ0/w400-h300/DSCN1713.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>One Fine Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16332431189064825125noreply@blogger.com0