A rainy day in hell

Rather shockingly, the air moved today. Like, there was an actual breeze. It rained too, but that had been forecast for a few days. I hear down south got it first, so it clearly took a while to mooch its way up north. Anyway, it was nice to not be sweating while sitting perfectly still for a change. The heavy rain meant that, just after dinner, there was a knocking at my door. Apparently, water started leaking from my balcony to the flat downstairs. I doubt it’s that big of a deal, as the deluge was very intense, so unforeseen leakages/floods/whatever were bound to happen. Basically, the council are going to turn up at random to repave my balcony, which I’m not too sure I like the sound of. Quite why I have to make appointments to see them, but then they get to turn up at my home whenever the fuck it suits them, well, it just creams my corn. Woah, I’ve never used that expression before. Think I’ve been watching too much American television. Anyway, it’s going to make my planned alcoholic binge tomorrow a little complicated. Maybe I should wait until the weekend. But I shouldn’t have to, right? Oh I don’t know. People suck.

I think I’ve now missed nearly a week’s worth of antidepressants. The hot weather has kept me indoors, plus my sleep pattern is, as always, rather all over the place. I’m wondering whether missing a load might actually help jumpstart their effect, as I’ve been having the major gloomies recently. Like, DEFCON 2 sorta stuff. It’s worked in the past. I believe Carrie Fisher used to have electroconvulsive therapy for the same reason. Bless. I’ll try and get out tomorrow to post my prescription, using taking my rubbish down to the wheelie bins as motivation. I’m not getting too dizzy yet, so I’ll feel safe walking, plus the cooler temperature will make it slightly more pleasant. The kids are off school though, so I may get picked on for using my white cane. Adults do it too though, so I might not notice much difference.

No pub yet, but that one in town I think I mentioned in my last post has started opening at midday now. I tried to ring them yesterday to ask whether you had to unnecessarily adhere to social distancing inside, but nobody answered. They get a lot of cold callers.

I contacted a local amplifier repair guy to ask if he could build me a cute, retro-50s transistor amp, as such a thing doesn’t exist for under £1,500 at the moment. He said the idea was a bit too arts-and-crafts for him, which I totally understand, so I bought a distortion pedal off him instead, as I noticed on his website he’d started building and selling them independently. I thought that was a nice thing to do. He’s going to drop it off himself at some point, hopefully before I’ve started drinking. We shall see. I did find a new “boutique” amp range very close to the sort of thing I want, the Tone King Falcon Grande, but it’s waaay above my price point. And spec requirement. If kitschy retro styles are coming back, then maybe the mainstream brands will end up making some in my price range. You never know.

I’ve still not been in touch with my gaming buddy, which I’ve found very easy to do. I think I must have come to peace with him not being around anymore last year, when he first started disappearing for weeks on end. I don’t like being kept on a long leash. Be a close friend or a casual text-every-now-and-then friend. Not both. My heart just isn’t strong enough, and I don’t think he needs me in his life anymore. Sigh.

Oh, I’ve oddly drifted into vegetarianism this week. I have no idea why. Perhaps just for a change. I even ordered an Indian takeaway with no meat in any of the dishes. I half expected the delivery guy to ask if everything was ok with me. He didn’t. The food was still great though. If you’re ever in Sheffield and need a good curry house, I’ll ping you the restaurant’s name. Golly, lost my train of thought there. Veggie food, yes, that was it! So, yeah, I’ve got vegan cheese and the like clogging up my fridge at the moment. Meat-style sandwich slices are nice as a snack, but totally get lost in the flavour mix once they’re added to a sandwich… which is what you’re supposed to do with them. Oh well, live and learn.

My antidepressant withdrawals means my cultural interests are all over the place this week. I usually lie in bed at night listening to history reference books these days, but I’ve gone back to Discworld while I’m feeling weird. They’re my, like, emotional lifeboat, I think.

Speaking of which, I only got out of bed for a few minutes due to feeling felt restless, so I think I’ll quickly post this and head on back UNDER the duvet. Yes, you heard me, it’s now cool enough to climb under the sheets! Hurrah! It’s the little things.

Damn, it’s still too early to wish you a good weekend. Erm, have a good Thursday, or Friday, if you read this a day late. Or something. I dunno.

Can you tell my brain isn’t working right?

Do stay in touch, darlings.

Toodles!

Beware of geeks bearing gifts

Well, as sort-of promised, here’s a calmer, more detailed report on my general goings on than my psychotic rant on Monday. I’m still mightily miffed though, so don’t think that that’s over. But, hey, I’m guessing everybody’s a bit confused about what to do, since the government misleadingly said “it’s over but not really”. Hopefully my regular pub will post this weekend that they’re back open again at lunchtime next week. If not, then there’s one in town that I used to go to which seems positive about such changes. I want so very little in life, but the universe seems intent on making that little thing difficult. Sigh.

So, apart from all that alcoholic drama, I haven’t posted anything in a few months because… well… I’m not sure why. I guess I’ve just not felt very creative. It happens. I’ve not been too busy or anything, so I can’t use that as an excuse. My birthday was as dull as you can imagine. It basically involved getting drunk and eating curry alone. No presents, apart from a £30 voucher from mum, which went on a few DVDs. Basically, I had to treat myself, so I put an order in with the Gordon Smith guitar company for a custom built Les Paul-style which, because they’re a British-based company, wasn’t as expensive as you’d expect (no import duty!). They estimated that it’ll be ready in twelve weeks, so I’ve got roughly another month to wait. You can’t imagine how excited I am! I’ll try and do a video gear review once it’s arrived, depending on how confident I feel about having my whole tubby form be on-screen. Speaking of guitars, the Rickenbacker I bought over Christmas actually works now. I don’t know whether it was because I bought it during winter and maybe it was stored improperly, but the strings seem to have risen on the fretboard, making it playable. Perhaps the wood contracted/expanded or something. Anyway, It’s a relief, as it’d been collecting dust for months and months while I waited for the music shop to open so I could get it repaired. Now there’s no need, and it sounds great!

Oh I also treated myself to the fifteenth anniversary boxset of British Sea Power’s debut album, The Decline of British Sea Power. It was around the £100 mark, but it was totally worth it. There are some nice vinyl editions in there, which I won’t be able to play until… you guessed it!... I sort out a vinyl record player. Let me know if there are any brands/models you can recommend. Here’s my little video tour of the boxset, with commentary:

I’ve gotten into American Dad recently, as I ran out of Family Guy episodes in that boxset. The quality of American Dad is far more consistent than Family Guy’s, but it obviously doesn’t have Stewie Griffin in it, which will hamper even the best television show. Roger was fun at first, but he seems to have become the show’s antagonist now, so I feel unsafe whenever he’s on-screen. A far cry from the loveably camp alcoholic he started out as! Steve’s great, and it’s amusing how the creators like to get him and his friends naked as much as possible. Not awkward at all. I watched the first Critters film last night, having bought the 1-4 set years ago. I’d forgotten how adorable Scott Grimes, the voice of Steve, was in it. Shame about his grotesque mullet in Critters 2, but hey-ho. So, yes, apart from the brief break I’m taking at the moment, I’m really enjoying American Dad and hope to crack on with it asap.

I’ve not been into films much recently, although I think that’s about to change. I’ve dug out a pile of discs to watch, so maybe my sitcom-only viewing schedule will diversify over the weekend. The boxsets for the Rome and Spartacus TV series just arrived, so I’ve got those to work through. I’ve been meaning to watch these two unrelated shows for a while, but was concerned they’d be a bit too macho for me. We shall see.

It’s been super-hot this week, but that’s no surprise for this time of year. I’m having to sleep without a duvet, but with a pile of towels beneath me instead (to soak up the perspiration). I’m not a fan of the sun, needless to say. An additional negative side-effect of such weather is that all the locals become noisier than usual. As they say, “Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the noon day sun”. It’s true. It’s really, really true. Although dogs are usually better behaved than the scum who live around me. Harsh, but true.

I’ve finally had enough of my gaming buddy, who I’ve removed from my phone and console friends list. He’s been a pretty rubbish friend over the past year and a half, and things don’t seem to be improving. He claims to be too busy at the moment, but he still lives at home, isn’t paying rent, doesn’t have a job and has no other hobbies besides gaming. So I’m dubious. I think I’ve become “that mate who doesn’t mind being blown off, so he’s at the bottom of the priority list”. Nah, not on my watch. He finally noticed today that I’d unfriended him and messaged me about it, but I’ve not responded. I’m done. I foresee a lonely life ahead of me, but I’m finally coming to peace with that. Just so long as the frigging pubs open properly.

Well, I think I’ve come to the end of this post. There’s little to look forward to at the moment, so my send-off will probably be pretty muted. I sincerely hope that my next post will include a photograph of my first pint back in the pub, but I’ve said that quite a few times over the past year and a quarter, I’m sure.

Oh wait, I think it is my Audible credit day today, so at least I’ll be able to download a new audiobook. There. See? It’s not all negative. I think I’ll spend my credit on the eighty hour translation of Plutarch’s Parallel Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans, which guarantees to be a hoot.

Anyway, do stay in touch, darlings.

Toodles!

 

Hell hath no fury like a lonely alcoholic scorned

If you can’t hear from where you are, I’m screaming right ow. But you probably can.

So the government’s said that it’s all over, and we can now (Monday 19 July 2021) put our lives back to normal but, for reasons that will forever baffle me, they’ve dropped a note on their website basically saying: “But if you can just carry on with the restrictions anyway, just to piss off Jim, then that’d be great”.

And companies, including my regular pub which I haven't been able to go to for a year and a third, are ACTUALLY doing it.

The government LIED TO US. Halting at Stage 3 for another month was about being cautious. WHY ARE THEY LYING TO US?!

Fuck old people. Fuck the sick. Fuck kids. Fuck everyone. I want to go to the pub at 11:30am and not have to suffocate myself with face coverings. I want to be free and, while we are now “allowed” to, people are still going along with it. And why? Because social distancing has become everybody’s little project and a way of controlling those around them, and being “cool about covid” is chic. Well, chic can kiss my fat fucking ass.

But, anyway, apart from the above INFURIATING news, I’m a bit blah at the moment. Creativity is so-so, drinking alone is high, gaming is neutral, relations are next to nothing.

The light at the end of the tunnel got switched off, this afternoon. Everyone sucks, and I’m sick of not saying it anymore.

Fuck everything.

Don’t stay in touch, I’ve had enough of the lot of you.

Toodles!

P.S. A more positive, detailed, sane post should drop in a few days, once I’ve stopped screaming. Or will it? I'm probably just saying things will be back to normal, then backtrack.

 

 

Binge banter before bedtime

So, yeah, I got drunk for a week after getting upset at some local pranksters/bullies who threw things at my kitchen window and tampered with my front door (I’m still not sure what they did to the latter). Was it worth all the hangovers? I dunno, but it took my mind of external assailants for a while. I was teetering on the edge of the wagon anyway, and the harassment just nudged me off. I’m still not 100% sure who it was that did those, I assume, connected things, but there’s been no follow-up incidents. Yet. I’m keeping an ear open though.

Anyway, it’s Friday night and I’m cooking a bedtime burger. I peaked too early today, food-wise, by having my signature tuna and bean, erm, thingy for lunch. The ham sandwich I had for dinner was a huge anti-climax. Basically, I feel as though I should make amends and go to bed on a happy tummy.

I’m feeling less creative in a writing way, post-binge, but I don’t think the two are related. I did seem to be going through a transitionary stage beforehand and, well, to cut a long story short, I have a new electric guitar. It wasn’t a drunk purchase, more of a still-awake-at-5am purchase. It’s a Fender Jazzmaster, which is a model I’ve never owned before. I’ve owned just about every other type. Jazzmasters are usually associated with the alternative/indie/shoegazing scene. It’s just a Flying V I’d like to try out next. We shall see. But, yes, I’m slowly being pushed out of my one-bedroom flat by guitars. I’m not sure what I’ll be doing with my revived interest in playing, but I hope it’ll be some intense recording. I’ll try to do something heavier this time, rather than my usual sub-Coldplay melodic prancing. Keep watch on the Pondzombies page on SoundCloud! Actually, I may change my artist name. I’ve got a few ideas. Mouse Rat? Nah, I think that’s been done.

You'll be amazed to hear, although not quite as amazed as I, that I mopped my kitchen floor yesterday. Along with the bathroom clean the other week, I think I'm feeling rather domestic at the moment. I also cleared the living room so I could get to my music nook. What's happening to me?! Oh well, it all needed doing. Desperately. I don't even wanna try to describe the colour of the bucket water I poured down the toilet after the kitchen was all done. Yuck! That horrible damp smell in the bathroom seems to go every time I shut the window in there, so I'm content now that it's coming from outside. In fact, after it rained the other day, I can't smell it at all now, so perhaps the bad weather washed whatever-it-was away.

Speaking of bad smells, I've not felt very sexual this week. I'm making sure to masturbate daily, but I just can't find anything to watch to "get me going". I'm finding the fantasy of being a girl filling in a boy sandwich just about gets me across the finishing line, but only just. Maybe I'll feel more amorous over the weekend. I've nothing planned, I just know what I'm like with always changing inside.

I had one of those really intense alternate life/relationship dreams last night. I lay stunned and on the verge of tears for ages after waking up. There were actually two partners in the dream, but I felt equally as strong about both. I'll never forget them, even though they never truly existed in the first place. Sigh. Why does my brain do this to me?! It feels like cruelty.

It’s been pretty quiet on the social front of late, apart from a few texts with the usual peripheral friends. We’re marching ever closer to the pubs reopening, which will make my schedule a little more interesting.

I’ve not added to my new creative writing project in a couple of weeks. You’ll never guess why. But I’ll try to carry on tonight or tomorrow. I don’t want to leave it too long so I get out of the habit.

Oh golly, I think that’s about all I have to say. I’m really feeling uninspired. Not depressed (at least, no more than usual), just not in a chatty mood. I just thought I’d check in.

Well, I hope you’re faring better, avid reader!

Right, my burger’s ready. Must dash!

Do stay in touch, darlings.

Toodles!

 

 

 

 

The Cook, The Cops, His Wok & His Window

A double dose of me! It’s a great time to be alive, isn’t it?!

Well, after ten years of living in this hole, I seem to have finally become a target of bullying. I was kind of expecting this a lot sooner, I must say, but I guess now is as “good” a time as any. So I was in my curtainless kitchen last night after dark making a stir-fry, as I do, and I heard someone shouting outside. It sort of sounded like that neanderthal who’s moved in over the way, although “loud, obnoxious, northern chav” could be any number of people around here. I couldn’t quite understand what he was saying, but it sounded aggressive, and I remember thinking “I’m glad I’m not the person HE’S shouting at!”. Then, a few minutes later, things started hitting my kitchen window. I’m not sure what they were, but they sounded moist and heavy, so I’m guessing it was wet newspaper or toilet roll or something of the like. Who knows. Anyway, although I made sure not to react (that’s what they want!), it really did freak me out, so I called the police. After waiting a while on hold, I decided to just hang up and sat down to eat my stir-fry. This morning, I’ve found great streaks of white on my kitchen window, so goodness knows what they threw. Milk? The contents of their bedside spunk bucket? I have no idea, but it’s still left me shaken and upset.

I’m still wondering who did it. There is quite a distance between my building and the next, so it’d be some feat to lob something across. However, if it is that gorilla who keeps making all the noise on his balcony, I’m guessing he’s a well-built, muscular sort. I’m guessing guys who spend a lot of time working out don’t do a lot of book reading. It could also be kids, which makes sense for a Sunday (where they’re usually super-bored and wandering around in packs). There was a gang of boys playing football on the grassy patch below my kitchen window a couple of days ago, so maybe one of them saw me pottering about and decided to come back to harass me.

Sigh.

Well, booze is arriving around midday, so I’m going to pop out beforehand to post my prescription and get some energy meter top-ups. I’ll make a note of any odd things lying around on the ground below. This will also be the first time I’ve left the flat since that noisy guy moved in, so I’m anticipating some verbal abuse. Hopefully, after seeing that I’m a vulnerable, visually impaired white cane user, whoever’s responsible will leave me alone. Or, more likely, they’ll be offended by my frailty and turn up the heat. Either way, booze is arriving around midday.

The stir-fry turned out nice, by the way.

Do stay in touch, darlings.

Toodles!

P.S. You get a prize (my respect) if you can guess what this post's title is a vague, muddled reference to.

Melancholic whispers at dusk

Dare I say it – the weather might be improving! If it snows tomorrow, I’ll be very upset. Actually, I do need to go out tomorrow, as I’ve just run out of antidepressants, so I need a clear path to post my repeat prescription request. Sigh, there must be a shorter way of saying “repeat prescription request”. If you know one, do let me know.

I haven’t drank over the weekend, by the way. I did initially put some booze on my supermarket order for Friday, a jolly good binging amount, but then took it all off at the last minute. I’ve really been struggling with my mood over the past week, so I initially felt like I deserved it. Anyway, I decided to white knuckle-it instead. I definitely feel better today, although I can’t really discern a particular reason why. I’ve been oversleeping (12 hours instead of the minimum-required 8 hours), but that’s better than undersleeping. I’ve not been listening to anything in bed, which I don’t think I’ve done for more than 1 night in about 25 years. I think it’s been 3 days now. I’m very confused. I’ve got so much audioreading to do! But, I don’t know, my hearing has just felt a bit sensitive lately, so I’ve been lying in relative silence listening to the noise of the estate (including my neighbour “Angry Game Boy”, but that’s 24/7). I still don’t feel overtly “unwell”, but something’s definitely up.

I cleaned the bathroom today, which I’m glad and proud of. It really needed doing. It had gotten very brown in there, and had started to smell like a boys’ changing room in a secondary school (trust me, men are disgusting). I have a theory that the latter isn’t my bathroom, but perhaps the pipes in general, but I’ll just have to wait and see if the aroma in there improves. I can’t remember the last time I actually cleaned the bathroom, which is usually a sign for me to get in there and do it. I’m not proud of my poor housekeeping but, well, it’s just me in here and nobody ever visits. Just a bit of vacuuming and tidying up and I can finally start propositioning delivery boys again. Woo! There was a cute one dropping off DVDs yesterday, but I didn’t feel inclined to flirt. Not that my “flirting” would result in any activity anyway.

Hobby-wise, I’ve still been sticking to foreign films of late. Not to be a snooty film buff but, well, I just don’t like hearing English voices at the moment. Maybe it’s because of social media and everybody having their say all the time about everything, but I’m just enjoying hearing people speak without knowing exactly what they’re saying. Anyway, I think I covered all this in my last post.

I finished off the Apu Trilogy, which had a sweet finale. Most of the final film, The World of Apu, I felt relied a little too heavily on imagery from the previous two, Pather Panchali and Aparajito, but it certainly wasn’t bad. I felt very much like a 21^st century boy watching it, as I spent much of its runtime picking out health and safety issues, like characters having casual conversations as they walk down train tracks. You could actually show it to a group of office workers on a H&S training day. They must be getting sick of those ones starring John Cleese by now, surely. Cleese gotta eat!

Golly, I just had a major mood dip while thinking what to type next. What’s wrong with me, I wonder. Perhaps it’s all the not getting out. Erm, cabin fever, I think is the appropriate term. I’m tempted to put another grocery order in tonight, this time keeping the booze on it. I don’t know why I think booze will cure all my ills, because it won’t, but I somehow manage to convince myself that it’ll “shake things up”, like electroconvulsive therapy. I’m just very lonely and very ill so, for a few days, I’d like to not feel either. Maybe I'll be lucky and not wake up the morning after. I cross my fingers every time.

I’m still working on my new writing project, which does actually boost my mood. I don’t add much to it each time but, when I do, I really feel like I’m achieving something. I hope it’ll be worth it. I’m just about to start the third chapter, with the first two being about 5-6,000 words each. Is that good? I don’t know. Anyway, it’s a first draft, and I’ve got plenty of ideas for revisions. I haven’t even got the intended plot going yet. It’s just, well, meandering stuff happening at the moment. But that’s ok, I like meandering stories. Let’s just hope a publisher will too.

My gaming buddy is back from his Easter holiday break, but I’m not sure how free he will be. He’s started going back home (he lives with his grandparents to be near college) in order to visit his new girlfriend, so that’s why I’ve not been hearing much from him. I’m happy just to take a backseat while the initial fire of their relationship burns, as they do. I know I’m low on his list of priorities, which is why I’m in self-imposed social isolation. I can’t take the stop-start nature of how things have been lately. Why do people start to slot you into their lives, after a while? I’m probably just being a diva. We all have our issues, I guess.

My Twitter and YouTube accounts are still either deactivated or stripped down to their bare-minimum. I doubt I’ll put things back to how they were, as I didn’t get much feedback when I announced, rather melodramatically (as I do), that I was calling it a day. A few people liked my goodbye tweet, which was grimly amusing in itself. There’s a good Family Guy joke about that sort of thing, but involving Facebook. I haven’t deleted my YT videos, just switched everything to private. In fact, I have been uploading gaming clips this week but, for now, they’ll remain private too. Maybe all this is for the best. Maybe it’s forcing me to get on with my writing. Who knows.

Golly, I can hear an ice cream van making its rounds. Those haven’t been about in a while, I’m guessing.

Well, lovers, it’s getting late, and I have a whole lotta nothing to be getting on with. It takes a lot of concentration, as you can imagine.

I’ll be sure to let you know whether or not I end up biting the alcoholic bullet.

Do stay in touch, darlings.

Toodles!

Boys, buoys and booze

I had a sudden dip in my usual hop-skip-and-jump positivity (don’t laugh) last night, which has continued on into today. I really struggled to get out of bed, not finally emerging until midday. I’m guessing it’s just a random low mood attack, but I’ll prepare myself for it to go on longer. How does one prepare oneself for such a thing, you ask? Hmmm, ordering in lots of chocolate and digging out my comfort movies may be a good start. My desire for alcohol has rocketed sky high, but I’m still planning on waiting until my birthday next month. It’s not helping that the pubs are partially back open today, although my regular is, like me, waiting until you can sit inside. So, yeah, I’m not sure what to do. I’ve just ordered a curry, so hopefully that’ll cheer me up a bit. I’ve found a great restaurant, who’s food actually tastes like it’s worth what you pay for it. My homemade stuff was becoming better than a lot of the curry houses around here, which isn’t a good sign.

Since a lot of the stuff I ordered from the supermarket the other day didn’t turn up, I’m thinking of putting another order in before the end of the week. I may or may not put booze on it. I think the easing of restrictions has sent people into a buying frenzy. I think I’ll be smelling barbeque aromas for the next week or so. Apparently fire pits are the new thing. I don’t know what the difference is between a barbeque and a fire pit, but I’m sure there’s a beardy hipster out there who can rant at me about it for an hour. Sigh.

I’ve started watching the “Apu Trilogy” of films by Satyajit Ray: So far, I’ve done Pather Panchali (1955), Aparajito (1956), so I’ve just got The World of Apu (1959) left. I’m very impressed by the realism of the first two. To think that British and American cinema at the same time featured a sort of hyper-reality, where few locations were used and you felt like you were watching something set in another dimension. But Ray’s films, while not uncompromisingly gritty, do feel like they’re about people on this planet. I’m watching them without subtitles, but I’m managing to follow along. The only thing I didn’t pick up on, in Pather Panchali, was the argument about the stolen necklace. I got that the mother and daughter were arguing about SOMETHING, but it wasn’t until I read the plot summary afterwards that I matched the argument with Apu (well, “Opu” really) throwing the necklace into the water at the end. It’s a shame that there’s so much emphasis on the males in these films. To tiptoe around a spoiler, I get that Apu is the only consistent main character in the trilogy, fine, but the first two films are such feminine movies that it feels odd that so much attention has been put on Apu. The actress who plays the mother, Karuna Banerjee, had me crying by the end of Aparajito. Hopefully things have changed in the past seventy years, so that women get the credit they deserve. And that’s a sign of great filmmaking too – if you can have a visually impaired English speaker watching an Indian language film and STILL have them awash with emotion by the end, then you’ve done something right. I’ll watch The World of Apu another day, as I’m a bit too emotionally drained after the first two. I’m curious to see who plays the titular character this time, as there have been three actors portraying him so far in only two films. The teenage Apu in the second half of Aparajito looks like a dark-haired version of my gaming buddy, who distracted me. He’s shirtless a lot too, which is no bad thing. Anyway, I’m glad I’ve invested in the Blu-rays, and I finally know what all the fuss is about.

Speaking of my gaming buddy, he’s started texting me all of a sudden over the past two days, which I’ve carefully replied to. I’m not being rude or monosyllabic, but I’m also not getting too excited. I think I’ll still say I’m busy, should he want to game, but I sincerely doubt he will.

I started playing the video game Subnautica recently, which is a sort of “No Man’s Sky meets Minecraft” thing, but underwater. I was drawn to it due to the underwaterness (real word), as I’m sure I was a gender-non-specific-merperson in a previous life. Not that I believe in previous lives. But, yeah, I enjoy being underwater whenever I get the chance. In fact, my mum used to worry I was drowning when I was a kid, as I’d keep myself under for so long. I think that, had my eyesight been better, I would have probably gone into something involving the deep. Marine biology? The navy? Well, you know how I like sailors. Anyway, back to Subnautica! I’ve tried Survival mode, but that was too difficult (you have to find food and fresh water), so I’m now on, erm, Easy, I think. That’s where you don’t need to find food and water, but you can drown and be injured by alien sharks or whatever. I’ll resort to Creative, should I find Easy too much effort. I just wanna swim around underwater and frolic with the fishies!

Oh I did that “Buy 3 Extra Credits” thing on Audible, so I’ve got three new audiobooks to be getting on with. One is a series of lectures on Ancient Greece, while the other two are classics of Chinese literature: Monkey King and The Plum in the Golden Vase. I won’t be bored once my sight inevitably goes altogether, that’s for sure.

See how half-glass-full I’m trying to be?

Well, while I was writing the paragraph about the Apu Trilogy, my curry arrived, so I’ve got some fancy food in me now. In fact, I’m feeling a bit more upbeat already. I’m also in the midst of watching Life of Brian, after watching The Holy Grail earlier. There are few funks in life that Monty Python can’t drag you out of.

Anyway, I best go back to my banquet. I’ll try and save you some, but I’m not promising anything.

Do stay in touch, darlings.

Toodles!

P.S. And, yes, I did consider using “seamen” instead of “sailors” whilst talking about joining the navy. The former seemed a bit too obvious and crude though. Was “sailors” better? Only time will tell.