It's Always More Complicated

This is being one of those weeks when I'm not sure if Mercury is in retrograde or in the opposite of retrograde, if there is an opposite.

In that some things are going unwontedly smoothly and unexpectedly well, and other things not, and plans being thwarted, etc.

E.g., further to the expeditious renewal of my library membership, I was going to boogy on down to the relevant institution to pick up my card and do a spot of light research (I think I may have copies of the books I need to look at but they are not in any of the places where I would anticipate them to be). However, it is chucking down rain in buckets, I think I will leave this until a drier day. Dangers untold and hardships unnumbered is one thing, sitting around with wet shoes in an airconditioned reading room is another.

However, in connection with the research, I remembered that Elderly Antiquarian Bookdealer/Bibliographer had mentioned to me a Person who has come up as Of Interest, and I thought I would see whether they are still around, and apparently they are at the latest report though nearly 90. And not only that, last year, why was I not told, there was published a limited edition from a small press of various of their uncollected writings, including an essay on the very person. This is something I would have bought anyway had I known it existed.

And lo and behold, I ponied up for this hardback, limited edition etc: and got a massively discounted price in their winter sale calloo callay.

On the prehensile tail, I managed to break a soup bowl at lunchtime. Fortunately not containing any soup.

Just one of those weeks that felt like a strain - lower back flareups and insomnia and long-scheduled commitments that could not be deferred -

Though I did get a few small bits of life admin accomplished, like finally making an appointment for the first session of dental inlay work and chasing up whether journal reviews editor actually got my review.

But at the moment having the blahs.

Text today from my general practice to book Covid + flu jabs - actually in a months time, but I now have a slot booked.

***

Having been moaning on over at bluesky about scholars these days not acknowledging existing (older) historiography, Dept of Preening Gratification was coming across footnote cite to 30 year-old co-authored work as 'A key starting point' for certain 'productive considerations' within the field.

***

On the other prickly paw, I am still failing to get up to a proper swing at the essay review - keep niggling and picking at the bit I've already done.

Partly due to Interruptions happening.

Also partly due to not sleeping terribly well this week for some reason.

***

Discovered today that I had somehow acquired an ebook of recent work on subject I have had far too much to do with and had totally forgotten about it. Looking up an area of Mi Pertikler Xpertize, o dear, a number of niggling Errours.

***

Attended a webinar the other day where someone claimed that a certain class of records did not survive in respect of the lower orders on account They Could Not Write, and I was more, no, it's an issue of preservation, what about those postcards that I spoke about on a TV programme once - but that is such an annoying story, what DID happen to the cards after the filming? - apart from the flaunting of Being Meedja Personality, so decided not to raise my virtual hand.

Health stuff:

Had a telephone appointment with a GP about results of my routine health check the other week, concern over somewhat high cholesterol level - the good news is, I'm not diabetic, but I should endeavour to get that cholesterol down. I already consume a fairly healthy diet (maybe I need to cut down on the margeritas, though), so it's probably down to upping the exercise, within the constraints of the arthritis. Apparently one can book directly to the local NHS physio place, which might be an idea though who knows how long the wait is. Various links supplied to Exercises for the Old and In Pain.

Dentist yesterday: managed to get so much work done on where the crown used to be that they cancelled the additional appointment today and I only need to go back in 2 weeks. Yay.

***

On walk today, observe that the waterlilies on the eco-pond (still seething with INVASIVE PREDATORY GOLDFISH) are endeavouring one last reprise of their Monet tribute act.

***

Have finally (if temporarily) got back access to former workplace email. Going through to see who I need to inform that it will be an ex-email address very shortly.

***

That annoying thing when somebody has given my name to somebody else as a person who is an expert on something on which I am not actually an expert: it is something which is adjacent to things I have worked on, I reviewed a book or books on it quite some considerable time ago, and I have not been keeping up with the historiography, except in the sense of having a feeling that there has possibly been some important recent work. I am so not the person to ask to be on your podcast about it. Grrr.

Well, true, I am more or less over the apathies that struck me all last week and had various things on my to-do list, some of which even got to-done -

But I did not anticipate:

A phonecall from the Audiology Clinic with an appointment for THIS THURSDAY (whether this will actually work, as I was actually planning to schedule my preliminary ear-degungeing this week, and the timescale on that is '5 days with the drops first', I do not know, but I will turn up and show willing). And have registered on the NHS site and observe that there doesn't seem any possibility of moving that appointment so I think I must have caught a cancellation?

So that was one thing.

And then there was a text (WOT) from a key person in an organisation whose archives I had a lot to do with and in whose affairs I got entangled, and they are now (v sensibly) winding up the org, but they have concerns about ongoing relations with My Former Workplace, and honestly, there have been so many changes I am not at all sure I am best placed to advise on this matter. (E.g. I have Only Just Discovered that they are funding Huge Archive Project which at the very least overlaps with certain of my research interests, nobody tell me nuffink these days.) So felt I had to write a tactful response.

And I thought I should send an email to person who is having book launch event for book within my field of interest based on archives with which I had a lot to do, saying congratters, but that these days I find it easier to actually hear what's being said online with headphones (which is an option).

And had planned to do some well overdue life admin sorting of incoming STUFF -

Which I did.

Which was just as well, as partner realised that our former Visitors' Parking Permits, which we shall need next week for the chap coming for the installation of the Combi Boiler, are now defunct, and there is a) a new system for which one has to pay b) actual traffic wardens have been spotted and c) there is a discount for OLDZ but this involves registering and uploading evidence that one lives where one does and IS OLD. How fortunate that I had lately been sorting out a morass of assorted documentation so that I could actually lay hands on relevant items so that I could scan and upload same.

Also the hedge-trimmer, or rather the rechargeable battery died, but I was fairly peripherally involved in that one and the matter of either finding where one could purchase a new rechargeable battery, or, ultimately, purchasing a new hedge-trimmer.

This morning the boiler went out AGAIN.

Upside: we were able to book an engineer to come today, yay?

However, the verdict is - it was the same engineer as last time - it may go out again after any random interval, and we are on course for a new boiler in the very near future.

SIGH.

So that is A Thing.

Can't remember if I updated the latest iteration of the dental implant saga, I don't think so? Anyway I had a phonecall saying that the periodontist is, if not immediately fit to practice again, rebooking scheduled patients, can I come in on a SATURDAY early next month - which once I had managed to negotiate late morning rather than first thing, conceded to.

But the last couple of months have felt like One Thing After Another of different sorts, distracting and disrupting.

Partner's cataract op has been deferred yet again (okay, we place the blame where it is due and not on overworked and underpaid docs, but this is still very annoying).

Waitrose delivery was massively delayed (apparently there was a van broke down and this threw the whole system out?) and we did not get our order until over 2 hours later than our maximum expectation. Still we got it, and no major other problems.

I also had some rather irksome tech things which I think I have sorted.

I am feeling v tired which I think it is this VERY HOT and humid weather.

***

In other news, saw on one or other social media site (these are getting to the point of too menny) a bloke (pretty sure from the user name and the attitude it was a bloke) going 'Large home libraries are lame.... haven't been a status symbol for 200 years.... Donate your book after reading it instead of making wallpaper out of it'.

Has this person, we ask, ever read a book? Have they, in fact, ever met another person?

This seems to me one version of that thing where people think people doing something that they don't/wouldn't do is somehow Doing It At Them, rather than, you know, doing their own thing, and we feel that reading books might have created a rather less judgey mindset into the harmless avocations of other people.

Anyway, this afternoon Partner got results from the last test GP had ordered and All Is Clear, there is nothing to worry about. Suspect a lingering fret about this had been underlying my general anomie of the last few weeks.

***

Can also report that New Phone seems to be okay - okay, niggles that it does not do certain things that the last one did, but it is probably a sound security thing that you have to log in to get full text messages with security codes. Wish it did the automatic update on the weather though. Am still waiting for case for it I have ordered as the ones on offer bundled with it were very limited and dull.

I must say it is agreeable once more to have a phone which I have not needed to charge for several days and which does not suffer massive battery decline just sat sitting there, doing absolutely nothing.

***

Dept of, I will always maintain that there are good reasons why humanity opted for civilisation:

‘We tried to stop them’: US family found dead in forest wanted to live off grid:

The women’s stepsister, Trevala Jara, told media that the family set off for the remote area last summer, seeking to escape the world. The sisters did not have survival experience and had only done research online and watched YouTube videos on the subject....
It appeared they had begun to build a “lean-to” type shelter but not finished by the time last year’s harsh winter began, he said.
“I wonder if winter came on quickly and suddenly they were just in survival mode in the tent,” Barnes said. “They had a lot of literature with them about outdoor survival and foraging and stuff like that. But it looked like they supplied at a grocery store.”

Lo, I sing the praises of Tiger Balm Muscle and Tension Lotion, which has had a remarkable (positive) effect on the lower back/hip problem. I was already prepossessed by Tiger Balm Neck and Shoulder Rub, which I find superior to the now discontinued Deep Heat Neck and Shoulder Cream.

I have made the discovery that the issue with the microphone of my desktop apparently not working when headphones are plugged in, is apparently unique to the earbuds that came with my iPod, which I had been using to listen to music after my old earbuds gave up the ghost. Since I tried plugging in my new Sennheiser over-the-ear headphones for a Zoom meeting about research project I am on Advisory Board for, all was well.

On the further topic of, sometimes it is worth upgrading one's tech, the tablet I recently splashed out on (it is still a pretty cheap and humble tablet) is nonetheless a massive improvement over the one I have had since, um, actually I think probably around 2016 or so? It's faster, works well with pdfs (which was being an issue with the old one), and now Kindle are being stroppy about not letting one download and convert their books, is also good for reading things that are only thus available.

On ebooks, my Kobo recs are telling me that Rebecca West, The Fountain Overflows, is £1.25, and while I have marked this already read (several times), the information may be of interest elsewhere.

I am not sure this counts exactly as a life hack, but I am trying to get out and do a little light strolling through the pocket park. Maybe I will work up to circumnambulating the playing field.

PSA for any Goth archivists looking for a job: Whitby Museum are advertising. (Part-time fixed-term contract.)

I mean, I sort of knew this was on the horizon, but I didn't expect it to suddenly come bursting over it because of Unexpected Factors.

I.e. Partner has been saying that he really ought to go and visit his mother, who is now over 100, in Australia, this year. But was going to leave it until impending cataract surgery was over.

Only - ooops, text on Tuesday am to say, on account of Junior Doctors' Strike this week, first appointment (of the several involved) is postponed for several months into the future.

So antipodean trip is being put in hand to take place before that (I shan't be going).

This has involved various ancillary turmoils, though at least passport is up to date.

Flights have been booked, but I am sure there are further related matters still to come.

AAAAARRGGHHH.