It never rains, but it pours

Hello! Thought I might check in. Hope you’re all doing well. Can’t say I have a great deal to report but, well, do I really ever? Hmmm, I’ll let you be the judge of that. I shall just start typing and see what I come out with.

Believe it or not, I’ve ran out of booze. Shocker! But it’s ok, I managed to get another grocery delivery slot for this coming Thursday, so I’ll be back being well lubricated from then on. I’m hoping this delivery dude isn’t as intense as the last one. I understand the drill now, sort of, so fingers crossed it won’t get confrontational again. I keep ordering more than my usual amount of booze because I’m concerned I won’t be able to get my hands on some closer to my birthday next month. I guess I shouldn’t worry about it, as I seem to be doing alright. I might even reduce the amount I’ve put on this week’s order. I’m sure I’ll find some more within a few weeks.

On the hobby front, while I’m still lacking interest in music, I have gotten my nose stuck back into classic literature these past couple of weeks. I’ve managed to finish importing that box of Shakespeare performances and put them onto my MP3 player. I’ve been doing about five plays each night, with three discs a piece. It was a pain in the bum, but I’m finding my “hard work” to have been well worth it. The only problem with these recordings is that they’re lacking any stage directions so, while I’m getting some very good performances, I generally have no idea who is who and where is where. But that’s ok, I usually have to read the synopsis on Wikipedia before delving into each play anyway. I do struggle to pick up on what’s going on just by listening to Shakespeare’s work. Reading his plays as printed in the folio is a little easier, as you can pace yourself. Regardless of this issue, I was really amazed that I genuinely laughed at a Shakespeare joke for the first time in my life. It was this bit in As You Like It:

JAQUES
I thank it. More, I pr'ythee, more. I can suck melancholy out of a song, as a weasel sucks eggs. More, I pr'ythee, more.

AMIENS
My voice is ragged; I know I cannot please you.

JAQUES
I do not desire you to please me; I do desire you to sing.

I was all like "Hey, that was a joke! And it was funny!!". I guess it had to happen some time. I wonder whether it plays out as a comedy moment in other screen/audio adaptations.

The best retelling of any of Shakespeare's canon is, of course, Russ Abbot’s “Do the Richard the Third” musical sketch. I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say it’s the crowning achievement of Western culture, and should be preserved in a museum somewhere. Behold:



I’ve also restarted my Audible membership, as I felt I’d backed off for long enough. I spent my first credit on Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales. I know I can get free recordings of these waaay out of copyright works, but having tried listening to the amateur performances of the dedicated Librivox folk, I’m appreciating the training of professional actors who are actually being directed by someone. I don’t mind paying money for the privilege of not being distracted by the incoherent rantings of a bunch of crazy motherfuckers. Bless their cotton socks. They do put a lot of effort in.

I’ve also been looking into the writings of one of Shakespeare’s contemporaries – Ben Jonson. I’ve only been able to find the amusingly disastrous Librivox recordings of his plays, but it’ll do for now. Maybe they’ll release a Jonson boxset similar to the Shakespeare one I bought. The latter wasn’t the ONLY playwright around at that time, you know. Sheesh! Some people, huh?!

I did initially spend my first Audible credit on another of Dorsey Armstrong’s lecture series about the middle ages, but I was concerned that The Medieval World may tread too much of the same territory as Turning Points in Medieval History. Luckily, Audible have a swap system for if you’re not satisfied with what you’ve spent your credit on. I do like Dr Armstrong’s lectures though, so next month I may invest in one that promises to be a bit different - either one on King Arthur or one on the Black Death. Although, erm, reading about a major historical pandemic might not be great at this moment in time. I shall have a think!

Movie-wise, I’ve been trying to work my way through 1986’s Lady Jane, starring an adorably fresh-faced Helena Bonham Carter and Cary Elwes. It’s a historical piece about the short reign of the titular Lady Jane Grey, also known as "the Nine Days' Queen", who was executed by Mary I, also known as “Bloody Mary”, also known as “Queen Bitch of the Universe”. The last one was by me, but whatever. Lady Jane is proving to be somewhat of a struggle, as it is very much the work of a stage director with very little interest in the art of cinema. Methinks a textbook would prove to be more exciting and visual. However, it does have the inimitable Patrick Stewart in it, who is always a joy to watch. I mean, he’s the same in everything, but what else do you want?! IT’S PATRICK-BLOODY-STEWART! But, yes, I’m hoping things will liven up the deeper into the film I get. It is rather odd that the film sort-of restarts after half an hour. Not literally, but we get a second round of introductions to the same characters and multiple blasts of exposition. I wonder if they shot two openings and then decided to just chuck them both in. Who knows.

In other news, the pubs aren’t back open yet, so I’m still missing my weekly venture out into civilisation. I’m generally fine without it, but I do like to remind myself now and again why I prefer to stay in. I haven’t been on any more walks with that woman that helped me with my shopping the other week, so I’m guessing my personality worked its usual charm. Sigh.

My old gaming buddy has been back in touch though, as he’s apparently fallen out with my replacement. I think my gaming buddy will be back on his old console within a week or so for a chat. I’m not sure how I feel about being someone’s consolation prize, but I’ll take it. I can’t really be too fussy at this point in my life. Well, I can, and I am, but whatever. It's fine. He's actually very sweet. Coincidentally, while he was texting me about his friendship crisis, I was on the phone to my ex trying to talk her down from her weekly anxiety ledge. Counselling two people at once isn’t the easiest thing in the world to accomplish, I must say. How come nobody contacts me for weeks and then – boom! – all of a sudden I’m rushed off my feet. Crazy days. Oh well, I do enjoy the attention, and I’m very flattered that people find me easy-ish to talk to. Who’d-a-thunk-it?

Right, what next? Oh, I definitely need to take a trip to the recycling bins downstairs, as my living room is cardboard city at the moment. It hasn’t built up like this in quite a while. I’ll probably find a few homeless people making a home in there somewhere. Stranger things have happened.

Well, folks, I think that’s all for now. I best go find… I dunno… something to do. With any luck, I’ll have more to report in my next post. That’ll be nice, won’t it?

Ok, less of that, you.

Do stay in touch, darlings.

Toodles!