Oh…bugger

So, Claire commented yesterday that I knew how to enjoy myself. Well, sadly, it appears I know how to enjoy myself way too much! Today was a bout of gout day. I have been in agony. I’m fine now I’m at home, sitting down with nothing on my foot, but today…aghhhhhhhh!

I had uni so I set off at 8:30 for the train. By the time I reached the end of our street, I was starting to limp, feeling the pressure beginning to build. I was tempted to turn around, go back home, just put my foot up (or take a jigsaw to it) but I missed the previous class because I was sick and I’d organised a meeting with my dissertation supervisor…I really had to go. I dragged my sorry foot to the station.

I was walking pretty slowly by the time I reached Farnham Station, but I made the train. I made the mistake of taking my shoe off for the trip to Waterloo. It felt good while we chuffed along, but when I replaced it, the foot hurt a lot more. Anyway, I hobbled down to the temporary bus stop for the bus to uni (someone has dug the main road up all over the place, including Waterloo Bridge, and the traffic is a mess) which, fortunately came quickly.

I slowly limped to uni (it’s pretty close to the bus stop), bought a coffee and went to class. And my foot throbbed all the way through it. And it was a load of old toss! I could so easily have missed it. I’m pretty sure today has been the worst lecture I’ve had. Of course, this could really be my gout talking.

It was about different generations (baby boomers, generation x, generation y…) and how libraries could or should adapt to them. Quite apart from the gout, I’m pretty sure there is no divide. Teenagers have always been grotty little misery laden trolls. Oldies have always been oldies. Middies have…well, you get the picture. I made the point in class that this was all bollocks, if you want to cater to different people, try catering to their needs! If I need to access a certain book because I’m studying library science, it doesn’t make any difference to anyone that I was born in 1955.

God, I was furious! Though to be fair, that probably WAS the gout. But it was like astrology. Just rubbish. So, I sat through it, took few notes and wished I was reclining somewhere with my foot in the air.

After class, I had an hour wait before my meeting with Andy (my supervisor). He’d told me to meet him in his office in E304. I went to E304. He wasn’t there. I was about to go home when I realised he was dyslexic. I found him in A304.

We had an excellent meeting (making me not regret quite as much, wasting my time in the morning). He is very positive and encouraging. I feel like I know what I’m doing, though I’ve set myself a rather mammoth task. Still, no pain, no gain, eh?

And then it was the long haul back home. Mirinda said she’d probably be getting home a lot later than me so I staggered onto the 3:23, just before the doors closed. I texted Mirinda to say which train I was on. Half an hour later she responded by saying she was on the train behind me. I waited at the station and we walked – actually, she walked, I sort of slithered like a sick penguin – home together.