The House Husband

Today I finished my fourth assignment for my masters and the last one from last semester. It was with a great relief that I clicked the ‘are you sure you want to submit this assignment’ button on the uni website. And now, having completed a Domain Analysis of the archaeological museum sector, I feel replete. Now to concentrate on THIS semester.

And yet more news…for a break this afternoon, I dug a hole and planted the weather station pole in it. With another bag of instant cement, I tamped it down. Voila, there’s another pole in the garden. What with the obelisks and the two upright structures, our back garden is starting to look a little like the New York skyline! I’ll now have to wait for Thursday to set up the weather station.

I have an early start tomorrow so it’s only a short entry tonight.

A bit windy today which is making the snow fall off the trees. This is particularly funny when a poodle is underneath. Blue skies, no more snow, though there was a bit of a flurry late in the day and Mirinda reports light snow in London.

I’ve had quite a concentrated day, staring at philosophy books and trying to make sense of Theodor Adorno and Jacques Derrida, two 20th century philosophers with an inability to write in coherent sentences! Well, coherent to me, anyway. A chap called Buckland isn’t much better with his “Before we can have a philosophy of information, we first need to figure out what we mean by information…” It’s all making me a bit crazy so updating the blog is a welcome relief from it.

My walk into Farnham was much like yesterday though I note, with genuine pleasure, that our council has done a splendid job in salting the footpaths leading into town. From what I could see, the path leading up to the station is still as treacherous as it always is but Hale Road is a nice slushy walk. Pity about the melting icicles creating pools of ice at the doors of some shops but you can’t have everything.

I have noticed a lot of people carrying shovels in their cars. I spotted one driver, slowly progressing along an untreated road who, in trying to turn into a driveway, stopped as the wheels of her car slipped and slid, lacking in any traction. She immediately jumped out of the driver’s side, shovel in hand and started to dig her tyres out of the ice. And very effective she was too. In no time, she’d cleared all her wheels, jumped back in and continued on her way. And she wasn’t the only one. I must have seen at least ten drivers digging themselves free in Castle Street. I should say that in all the advice I’ve heard about travelling in snow (always carry extra clothes, water, food, etc) not once have I seen a shovel mentioned and yet, it’s so obvious when you think about it.

Speaking of shovels, our crazy neighbour was outside this afternoon, clearing the road from the park down to his house – he is two from the end. It looks very odd because the rest of the road is still covered with about five inches of ice. I’m not sure what he did with all the snow. Maybe he’s going to do some more tomorrow and keep going until he has the entire road cleared. Actually, I do know why he’s done it. It’s so cars can turn around without slipping and sliding into the parked cars, our road being a dead end, and all. So, not so crazy. Though I would prefer a sign at the other end saying “Do not park in this street, it is ice-bound and you won’t get out again” seeing as it’s been so nice and quiet this week without them.

And talking of quiet…we haven’t had a postal delivery since Tuesday. Whatever happened to the Royal Mail creed? No matter the weather, the mail must get through! Ha! Oh, how standards have dropped. Whatever happened to people working together against adversity?

Which reminds me of an awful story in the local paper this week. Apparently, a lot of people came home on Wednesday to find their cars covered in snow in the station carpark (as well as the carpark itself) and couldn’t drive home. They must have made their ways home somehow, with the thought of returning for the cars later. Well, first thing Thursday morning, there’s a guy putting tickets on all the windows because their tickets had run out! When asked why (and remember, the ice and snow was still there) he said his employer had told him to do it. What a jobsworth. And the emergency services saying it is dangerous to drive. I hope none of them pay the fines and, instead, go round the boss’s house and paste the tickets to his head.

Oh well, I have rested long enough and must return to Messrs Adorno, Derrida, Floridi and Buckland…

Wet all day and miserable which matched the poodles who were also miserable because it meant no walk. It also matched Mirinda who is miserable, having been sick now for over a week. And it matches me because I’m gradually succumbing to a cold…well my nose is stuffed up.

I had an eye test today because my glasses fell into one of my Wellington boots when I was about to put them on. The boots, not the glasses. For some time now, they have been driving me mad. The screw in one arm keeps coming loose and falling off. It’s because I only need them for distance and have to take them off for reading (or texting or using the PC) and I’m not particularly careful about where I put them or how they land. I’ve had the screw replaced a number of times but the arm is now twisted all out of shape and the entire frame is merely balancing on the bridge of my nose, waiting for any old gust of wind to blow them off.

I was standing at the back door. I reached down for my Wellington boot. I looked down at my foot, in order to guide it into the snug fitting boot. My glasses managed to dodge my foot and nestle on the bottom. I just managed to stop my foot in time. I decided things had reached that proverbial pretty pass. I needed new glasses. Yesterday I made an appointment with Valerie and today I went.

The Optometrist is quite close to Starbuck’s which is quite close to Waitrose. There’s a gradually emerging pattern to my shopping, I fear. Anyway, I sat with Valerie as she did the usual “Read the final line” routine and we joked about people losing their glasses. I told her that if Mirinda lost hers, she could use mine but I couldn’t use hers because they are too strong. Valerie thought this was very amusing, saying that women can always use men’s things but it’s not always the same the other way.

We then chatted about work and shopping and my sick wife at home in bed. I told Valerie that I had been sent on an errand for buttons but had refused. Valerie thought this was hilarious. I told her, I’d happily bought the double-sided tape and the A4 spiral bound pad but buttons was just a step too far. Valerie sympathised and wondered where I would buy buttons in Farnham. I immediately said Elphicks.

“Oh, I know where they are, Valerie but I’m not getting them. I refuse,” I said.
“But why,” she asked, all innocent.
“Because there’s thousands of buttons in Elphicks and the chances of me picking the right ones are slim, to say the least.”

She agreed. And there is a Wall of Buttons in Elphicks. I know. Mirinda asked me to buy her a clothes brush in Elphicks and I saw it. I was frightened.

A cause for celebration! Not the soon to arrive 2010. Oh no! I finished my DITA assignment and submitted it tonight! I’m free! Well, until next week, that is.

It was a beautiful day today.  The skies were crystal clear blue and it didn’t get any hotter than 5 degrees.  All change for tomorrow though.

Mirinda still sick.  She sleeps for three hours then wakes up for an hour.  Sleeps for another three hours.  And so it goes.  Her newest symptom appears to be a headache.  And being tired.

Starbucks ran out of hazelnut syrup!  I had the last drops yesterday.  I had to make do with almond syrup today.  It’s just not the same.

I can safely say nothing of any import happened today.  I went shopping, had a coffee, went home, worked on my JavaScript for DITA, made lunch, took the dogs for a walk.  Ho hum.  Doesn’t give me a lot to blog about.  but then I read a very good article about the guy who tried to blow up the plane on Christmas Day.  And that had me thinking.

The only reason we have suicide bombers is because they think they are going somewhere after they die.  Being an atheist, I think this is stupid but it’s true, nonetheless.  Who, in their right mind, would blow themselves up if they knew they were just going to die?  And there was nothing else?  What is the point?

Now I don’t care what religion someone follows, but if they claim to be expecting to go somewhere after they die, I think they’re listening to just so much hockum.  What is wrong with THIS life?  Live it, love it, die without regrets.  I guarantee, without religion, less people would go round killing other people as readily as they do now.

But that’s the trouble with religion.  You can’t convince someone who’s been convinced by someone else that the impossible exists.  Otherwise, what do they have to look forward to?  Think about it:  a miserable life in some poor, desolate mud hut with little to eat and some guy comes and tells you about the wonderful things waiting for you after you die.  Who wouldn’t want to rush things along a bit.

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!  I hate it!  Stupid, stupid humans.  I don’t see any gorilla’s worshipping the Great Pineapple.

Anyway…I’ve finished my JavaScript and uploaded it.  I am now very happy.  Not that I’ve finished my assignment but the worst is over.

If you want to read the article, it’s here.