renaissance man
All of the WWI model planes pictured above were – like most of my models, rather tragically – unfinished. And then they got damaged. Falling off whatever precarious surface I temporarily put them on.
So I binned ‘em. Casualties of war!
Just had a mini-meltdown, at March Tesco. I was sat in the car. Having read a bit. And even dozed a bit. A wave of panic and anxiety suddenly hit me. It was truly horrible.
I thought I was getting over it. Teresa called, and asked me to come inside the store and help her pack. I did so. Alas, I was in a zombie state. And then the tears started flowing. So I went back to the car, pronto.
We’re back home now. And I’m in the garden. I’m in recovery mode. Tired, and not wanting to do anything. Laying back in one of our new recliner chairs. It’s a gorgeous day. And, whereas earlier the pleasant weather wasn’t getting through to me, now I’m started to feel the benefits of the sunshine.
Teresa’s making our lunch. Bless her. Poor thing, married to a depressive muppet like me. She’s even made me a (fresh!) mint tea!
Part of my current anxiety stems from my most recent shift. I got it at the last minute. And, in my hurry, parked in a ‘parent & kids’ spot at Wisbech Mozzer’s. For which I received a very sour dressing down.
The last thing I need is any trouble at another Morrisons. After the fiasco of Cambourne. I’ve got two more shifts at Wisbech soon: one later today. Another tomorrow.
I hope my anxieties prove to be chimeras?
Later the same day…
Well, no hassles at work. But a co-worker did quip, as we passed in the lobby ‘So, you’ve not been banned from here yet?’ In my current state that maketh me to feel pretty damn paranoid!
Work went fine. Passed a little derelict church or chapel I’d wanted to stop and snap before. Took a few pics this time:
Being at work and not being persecuted I gradually calmed down. Now we’re back home. And, for the time being, I’m feeling passable.
I’m lucky. During in the garden relaxing. Teresa’s doing dinner. All I have to do is prep a fire.
And now we’re eating pizza, with sweetcorn and kale on the side. Our traditional summer evening fire crackling away, in the potbelly stove.
Ok, let’s not mince words. This film ain’t great. Indeed, it’s borderline awful. But there’s just enough about it that’s good enough to have kept me watching.
The two main characters, Pahoo (Dennis Fimple) and Rives (John Carson) – supposedly Chicago University students, searching for ‘Sasquatch’ – are up to the job.
And then there’s Jack Elam, as crazy ol’ Joe Canton, a boozy hillbilly trapper, and the lone survivor of an attack that sets up the film, and Bill Thurman, as ornery Sheriff Billy Carter.
Mostly the film is just silly mid-‘70s fun. But it does get better, and even a bit scary, at points. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend Creature from Black Lake. But I did, I must confess, enjoy it.
One intriguing thing about it is that it ends in such a way as to suggest the film-makers might’ve been angling for a sequel.
We went to The Hippodrome, for their cheap and cheerful curry night. Beef Madras, as usual. Each with two poppadoms and a garlic naan.
Earlier in the day I’d done an afternoon delivery shift for Amazon. I did the three hour shift in about one and hour thirty (or poss’ forty?) minutes.
Back home, and I’m straight to bed, at 7.30 pm! And I don’t care. I feel like I ought be bothered about this continuous extreme exhaustion. But I’m too tired to be arsed with anything other than capitulating to it.
Antonio helped me shift the core units of this up to our room. We only just managed to squeeze them through the choke-point, at the top of the stairs. Phew!
The day before I’d brought all the drawers up. Today I had to single-handedly lift and manhandle the top part onto the bottom section. Wow! That was hard work. I’m still sweating, now.
This whole corner of the room now needs re-working. And obviously there are other drawe units, now displaced. Where do they go? I do have a few ideas…
But I have a delivery shift to do first. And I’ll need some lunch n’all. So the tidying and rearranging – I’ll do a little bit now – will, for the most part, have to wait until later.
FOOTNOTE:
The lower part of the main body of the chest of drawers needed gluing. There was a big split. In the pic below you can see the ‘fault line’, after the glue up.
And here’s a pic of Chester, the same day. Being totally adorable.
Whilst by appearances I’m only about one-fifth through Vol. II of Rodgers’ humungous Naval trilogy, if you discount the ‘supplementary material’ (the stuff after my index finger) I’m closer to a third of the way through now.
And look what just hove into port! Vol. I. And I’ve also got his Folio Edition Wooden World to read and enjoy at some point. Getting back into reading is pricing very enjoyable. Or, as I like to jest, re such maritime matter, nautical but nice.
In The Passion of St. Tibulus episode of Father Ted, Father Jack’s prodigious production of earwax discombobulates the visiting Cuban Father Hernandez a little (above).
I was reminded of this scenario today, upon having had a bath. A very hot bath. I almost always submerge my head for about three minutes, specifically to soften up any earwax. And then after the bath, I try to – without bunging them up – get some of the crud out.
Today yielded a very impressive blob of wax and ear-hairs, from deep within my right ear. A bit yukky, I s’pose? But at least it shows these ear-douches are working.
I had some fabulous fruit at lunch today. Mango and kiwi. Antonio’s influence. Really should eat much more such delicious and healthy stuff!
Wow! What a blast of nostalgia. And such great music. ‘There’s a quiet storm’, she sings, in The Sweetest Taboo. Quiet storm, the perfect description of the sultry soulful music she and her group make.
Opening her second album with Is It A Crime and Taboo? Phew! Hot. And cool. Just utterly brilliant. I’m not massively sold on the ‘so 80s’ gated snare sound of the drums. But within the overall mix it’s fine.
Oh, and as a listener to rain sounds when I get off to sleep, the fact Taboo starts and ends with rain is rather apt and lovely.
Even the ‘album tracks’, as they call them – i.e. the non hit singles – are mostly very good, like track three, the jazzy War of The Hearts.
Initially I was very taken with the whole package. But repeated listens have left me feeling that there is a bit of a dip in quality, as we move from the heavy airplay hits, to the rest of collection.
Hence the four stars.
Part the First…
The wood chip floor of the green room had mostly migrated to other environs. And there were plenty of things growing in the light dusting of soil that remained. So we cleared that all away (as shown above and below).
I took a gamble that three backs of wood chips – £8 a bag from Wickes (1/3 off usual RRP!) – would be enough. And it seems to be just peachy.
Our two new reclining garden chairs arrived a day early, yesterday. So they’re now in place, in the green room. I’m writing this in the recumbent position. Sheer bliss!
Part The Second…
Hannah, Sofi and Antonio returned, about an hour before we had to leave for my Sunday (!?) dermatology hospital appointment.
Part The Third…
We were in and out of Peterborough City Hospital quicker than a virgin at a bordello.
Once home we could finally totally chill, in our new chairs. And even read!
From where I’m lying, with the new chair in horizontal mode, I can see three bird feeding stations. And, glory be, the birds are starting to learn about the feed we’re putting out for them.
Seeing and hearing these delicate little critters – I esp’ love the little birds – is sheer bliss.
We have a fourth bird feeder. But it’s in need of repair. In the meantime, Teresa has arrived with dinner… pork korma with rice! Am I in Heaven?
Part the Fourth…
I’m chilling to the Decimus Maximus. A fire and dinner in prospect…
Pork korma, with a side-salad. And banana n’ hazelnut choc-spread pooncakes for afters… joy of joys!
I built a wee fire. And it burned just right for us, during dinner.
The view from where I’m laying, in recline mode, is fab. And the birds are learning they can eat their feed even if we’re sat here.
I asked Teresa to pinch me. Am I dreaming? Have I died and gone to Heaven? Very recently the ‘weather in my head’ (thanks, Don) had been pretty awful. Right now I’m in Nirvana!
And to finish a perfect day: Champagne Charlie, in our cosy lounge…
We arrived at the show around 10 am, which is when it officially starts.
The Hula-girl above was, so it later proved, a portent of Hawaiian things to come…
This beautiful bus has a blue version of a livery, upholstery wise, that I recognise from a similar vehicle in The Titfield Thunderbolt. The one in the film was, I think, in green. Chatting with the driver of this magnificent machine, I learned that Dews do have one in green, as well. Must find and photograph that!
There were hordes of folk of all ages dressed up in period costume. Looking natty, dapper, sharp… you name it. The above selection is only a teeny-weeny sampling.
I got a great Hawaiian shirt, which drew many approving comments throughout the remainder of the day, and a whole outfit – trousers, weskit, tie and jacket, all in green – for… £30!
INTERLUDE – St. John The Baptist, Wakerley
In the afternoon we had to leave, so I could do a delivery shift. Turned out the route was in a lovely scenic part of the world.
St. John in Wakerley was worth a look. It’s a CCT Church. So presumably no longer active as a place of worship, but undergoing careful restoration? It was open, fortunately. It’s in a gorgeous setting.
Back to the 40s…
After the delivery shift, we went back to Ramsey. Turned out that we needed to buy more tickets for the evening show. When offered them at a 33% discount, we thought, why not?
We didn’t dance. Very few folk did. Which is a shame, really. I think, perhaps like us, many refrained from lack of era-specific dance move skills. But we still had a lot of fun. We wound up having a pepperoni pizza cooked on site, instead of the korma curry Teresa had planned back home.
I broke my new/latest return to tee-totalism rule. Which, whilst not disastrous, on this occasion, I must admit does deeply disappoint me.
But overall a lovely day. And a kind of tonic to the official 8th anniversary we spent with dad and co on the river, a few weeks back. That wasn’t entirely enjoyable or relaxing. Whereas this was!