anyresemblance

Elevator

The apartment lift is finally repaired.  It turned out the mechanism was on the 5th floor but the occupants of that floor are actually in Greece.  Their son had the key fob but that only works with the lift ... which was not in operation.  This required a complicated coordination of locksmith, building managers and lift repair people.  Obviously they got their act together and the lift is now repaired.  I am kind of missing the addition to my  steps every day but it is certainly more convenient for hauling the groceries up.

 

A month more

Sharing the bad work thing and collaborating on a smack down reply really helped.  Of course, then we edited the tone to make sure we weren't crushing the person involved beneath a heel and then edited again to make it "we remain perplexed" but I have removed that anxiety from my brain.

Yesterday also involved taking Charlie to get groomed which is weirdly acceptable even in our lockdown.  The groomers (who are also his dog walkers) have a fenced off area out front where you leave the dog and then call them and they come and get him.  It worked remarkably well and he is now super fluffy and smells of baby powder.  He was lucky to meet his absolute favourite dog walker while we were there and they had big hugs and she told me of some puppy photos she had found of him and I told her I have recently purchased a ramp as he is finding it hard to jump into the car these days.

Last night, I watched an episode of Vigil and then read a bit.  I am reading the latest Sally Rooney and trying desperately not to race through it as it is very good.  I've been baffled about a storm going on from an Australian writer who has called her out for her white middle class woman view of the world.  While I can understand as writer of colour, it must be hard to see a world feted around another white writer, it seems to forget she is not an anglo writer.  It reminded me of this gawker article which underlines her Irishness.  

Our lockdown has been extended another 4 weeks but I am ok with it and have a little 4 week writing project I have given myself.

Quotidien

I got a work email at 6pm last night which made me very annoyed.  Despite immediately shutting my laptop it upset my evening and my sleep.  I woke up groggy with a bad headache.  It is still making me mad this morning so I need someone else's counsel on how to respond to it.

Also, I used some retinol which made my cheeks flame the lesson being to stick with my tried and trusted products.

I did go for a short walk this morning and it did help to clear my head.

In good things I got a postcard from my sister, someone bought that stupid Daisy Jones and the Six off me in a contactless transaction and I had roast chicken for dinner with roast potatoes and I found the Derry Girls Bake Off Christmas special on Binge.

 

Anniversary

Here's what I did not do on the weekend

1. open my laptop
2. look at Facebook (I don't have it on my phone)
3. go for a bike ride (shame on me, by the time I thought about it, it was so windy)
4. read anything about 9/11 (too busy with my own thoughts about my own family members for whom this is an anniversary of their passing)
5. tidy out my wardrobe (I would have had to throw out everything as after a month in track pants I have forgotten what you wear to leave the house)

It's 22 years since my mother died and I am still cross that I lost her when I was relatively young.  About my mother:

• she was very good at cryptic crosswords
• she had a light hand with pastry
• she had a job she enjoyed  at the unemployment office in Glasgow and had her favourites among the men who came to sign on every week and was not against slipping the odd pound note to people she felt needed it
• she adored babies and small children and lavished her grandchildren with praise and toys and books
• she was a good knitter and knitted me a bright blue sweater with a yellow paint brush on it which I left on a bus in Glasgow
• when an old neighbour unexpectedly went into premature labour while visiting my mum and then had to return to Scotland to her other children leaving the baby behind in the ICU, my mother went daily to the hospital to sit by his crib and hold his finger and talk to him
• she loved the Sweeney and Adam Faith in Budgie

Stairway to heaven

The apartment block lift is still out so we've been hoofing it up and down the fire escape stairs still.  Charlie waits for me at every landing.  He is probably pretending to be a loyal dog but I think he is actually just catching his breath.  It is doing wonders for my stairs climbed statistics.

I listened to Naoise Dolan on the Pandora Sykes podcast this morning.  I enjoyed Exciting Times when I read it last year and was interested to hear her describe her autism and comfort of small routines.

Last night, we ate fried chicken tacos with a very spicy pickle and watched another episode of Only Murders in the Building.

Nothing of consequence

I didn't know I was so drained but a two hour nap and then to bed at 9pm has restored some good humour.  Last night, I rewatched a couple of Modern Love Season 1 episodes.  It's like short stories on television and I wish there were more things like that which are smart little vignettes of other lives but only take 30 minutes of my attention.

Part of my rehab regime is only walking 30 minutes a day but fortunately S can walk Charlie the other bit and I am encouraged to get on my bike so that will commence today.

I am re reading a Robert Galbraith and realising how her adult fiction writing parallels so much of her HP style for good and bad.  

Our lift is out of order which is tricky as it opens directly into the apartment and there are no regular stairs so I had to use the fire escape to take Charlie out this morning.  Of course, the key to that door is in a lockbox but although I knew the code I did not have my glasses and it was very hit and miss squinty to see the shape of the numbers to get it open.  I could see the people in the block opposite on their balcony considering if I were a burglar.  Side note: these people get up very early and go outside and smoke on their balcony.  I often ponder how awful it must be to wake up gasping for a cigarette.

Ailments

Ageing is very tedious for its accumulation of minor ailments.  I have mostly recovered from the painful heel but now have tendonitis in the other leg.  My very practical and helpful podiatrist (when is open and operating) strapped my foot and gave me some exercises and sent me on my way.  Unfortunately, I am limited to 30 minutes walking a day so Charlie will have to put up with shorter hops for a bit.  I had to pick up medication for the elderly cat but fortunately her ailment appears eminently treatable and not $$$.

I am feeling very under the weather in general so plan to take the afternoon off and climb under a blanket.

In more cheering news, I made a sort of Waldorf salad last night but used fennel instead of celery and pecans instead of walnuts and it was lovely and retro.

Anti-binge watching

I was delighted to find that Vigil is on Binge which is our Australian budget version of HBO, I think.  Anyway, while fitting all the tropes of the genre (PTSD back story, corruption at the highest ranks, plucky heroine) I am loving it, not least because it reminds me of my protesting youth and the whole trident missiles, nuclear deterrent story.  Add to it cold Scottish lochs, and I am down for it.

On a more frivolous note, Junior Bake Off is very enjoyable.  I am amazed at how resilient they all are and how a disaster - cake dropped on floor, for example - is just shrugged off with problem solving (usually means more buttercream).  Liam Charles and Ravneet Gill are perfect judges with the right mix of specific feedback and lots of encouragement.

I'm also enjoying The White Lotus with a menacing soundtrack and a bonkers cast.  I can only absorb one episode at a time as there is so much going on but Jennifer Coolidge is, of course, terrific but the whole ensemble are great.

Finally, in hate actual binge watching I watched Motel Makeover in a day and loathed everything about the presenters and the task - let us turn down at heel motel in Canadian resort into a ghastly instagram friendly place with illuminated signs and an overwhelming amount of pastel.  I did enjoy scrolling twitter for insights on the other hate watchers.

Positive thoughts

I have something very difficult to do today so I am determined to channel positive things in my life today

1. How Charlie knows when my daughter is not well and hangs out in her room to keep her company (fortunately her Covid test was negative)
2. How the torrential rain over the weekend has made everything seem brighter and sharper this morning
3. The swan couple on their nest close to the bridge where I walk in the morning.  I am so looking forward to those cygnets.
4. Moving all the pictures around in my study as I realised it was a study in dark blue and black which was added to the general gloom of the room and replacing them with tones of gold and warm woods and a giant mirror
5. Watching Only Murders in the Building and enjoying the bonkers Martin Short/Steve Martin relationship which has been going for eons
6. Listening to the new Abba tracks and feeling joy at the harmonies
7. Having a clean house having vacuumed two days in a row.  I am in an absurd relationship with my Miele
8. Reading Becky's stories on Venice and the Dolomites and feeling hopeful for travel instead of despondent
9. Watching the cockatoos yelling high in the trees from my bedroom window
10. Mini bounties

Things I've been up to

I had a birthday and it was low key but it was a delight to get lots of nice birthday cards.  I really mourn people sending me Christmas cards so it was lovely to have so many envelopes and thoughtfully chosen images.,  I did get some gifts as well but it was the cards that were really pleasing.

I had a dinner for my PA's 50th birthday and since I have known her since she was 25, that was also fun (she has not spent 25 years being my PA which would be torture but she does happen to do that now.)

I went to see Rosa's Wedding which a) only cost $8 as it was a Tuesday and b) was charming and moving.  

I ate dinner at Inka which was nicer than the first time around and had the most delicious Peruvian/Japanese food.

I read a novel about gentrification in Brooklyn which had a silly last 50 pages but was otherwise thought provoking and a new to me author.  I am interested in exploring her back catalogue.

I had many walks around the wetlands with my doggy companion who is getting older and stiffer when he gets up off the sofa but who is still delighted to run with the wind in his fur when he gets the chance.

I came to work in the office for the first time in 6 weeks and it was good to see some different human faces.

I perfected making American style biscuits and understand why they are quite different from scones (lots more butter for one thing).  I had these with carrot and coconut soup.