2008 — 24 August: Sunday
Midnight yet again. If I don't get some sleep soon I fear my head may explode. I fed Bro a video diet1 consisting of Once and the Layer Cake that he fell asleep over during the last viewing attempt. Just time, therefore, for tonight's picture of Christa. I thought I'd stick with the theme of changes in hair-style:
That's more Chris Foss airbrush science fiction artwork in the background, by the way. G'night, as I confidently predict the two Linux magazines I bought today will see me snoring in no time..
An entirely appropriately...
... gloomy grey wet morning given yesterday's family news. I shall start stuffing the crockpot for tonight in a few minutes (it's 08:18) when I'm slightly less dopey. Last night's meal, by the way, was pork ribs at the Jolly Sailor in Bursledon in the midst of some mock (cod?) historic Camelot pageantry. I must say Mrs Dominatrix satnav has a very roundabout way of approaching the place, but the return (when I realised what she'd done) was much more direct.
Right! Time for a pair of cuppas, and to start the crockpot rolling (as it were). Maybe I'd better get dressed first... Decisions.
Low blood-sugar thoughts
I suppose, theoretically, it may have been possible at one point to read, or have read, everything produced by this weird species of ours. If only for a few minutes after Gutenberg's press started rumbling. The impossibility of keeping up with the flood doesn't really stop me from vaguely trying, of course, no matter how clearly I realise the attempt is doomed. There's a neat paragraph in JD Beresford's early übermensch tale:
"Do you want to read?" he asked. "I have between forty and fifty thousand books in my library. I think it possible that you might find one or two which
would interest you."
The Wonder lifted his hand as though to ask for silence. For a minute, perhaps, no one spoke. All waited, expectant; ... It was a strange, yet very logical
question that came at last:
"What should I learn out of all them books?" asked the Wonder.
I'm delighted to discover that Beresford's daughter Elisabeth created the Wombles! Anyway, I was led to these thoughts by the piece here by Zadie Smith about EM Forster, having been struck by the fact that I've only read Forster's A room with a view and that was, in any case, one of Christa's books.
Hey! The sun is coming out. Time (10:59) for some brekkie for me.
Rank hath its privileges... dept.
I cunningly persuaded Big Bro that it was better for him to tell dear Mama about her sister's death than for me to do so. She took it very well as far as we can tell. And now (12:23) having discovered (too late) that the frozen tuna steaks that have been sitting in my freezer apparently need eight to ten hours to defrost before we can scoff them, it seems I shall be setting out to find somewhere to have a bite to eat. Makes a change from scanning various certificates, wills, title deeds, photo-shopping stuff together, and what have you. It's a great life, provided you don't weaken.
Now I have to read all about the Court of Protection and the Mental Capacity Act, 2005, as part of the idea of taking power of attorney, ideally before the last maternal marble has fled the maternal noggin. It's all do-able online, it seems. Deep joy.
Bro has indeed to return to Chile, but will first get nearly a whole week back in New Zealandland. He wants copies of these docs burned to CD. Perhaps I should email them to force him to get home broadband? Tee-hee.
Right: food! It's 12:43 and I'm peckish.
Catch-22
Oddly, since it was his copy I initially read, it seems Bro has never seen the rather fine 1970 Mike Nichols film of my Desert Island Discs choice of book. So guess what's now playing its heart out downstairs? Correct.
And now (17:52) while I catch up with a short item about Jon Stewart before reverting to the Freak Zone I've managed to persuade him to try Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.2 We shall be cracking the lid on the crockpot shortly, and I shall then discover if his suggested addition of "snap peas" has been successful. A-ha! The "Zone" is playing some marvellous 1972 Volker Kriegel music off a German lp "Inside: Missing Link". (I only have his 1972 "Lift!" which I bought on an early visit to Bad Kreuznach with Christa, almost certainly in 1974.) But, sadly, I'd missed the fact that he died in 2003, dammit. I can't claim German jazz-rock-fusion of the early 1970s is entirely my focus, but you can find much to like among some of the recordings of that time.
The UK from above on BBC HD also went down well, so there was no problem keeping Bro entertained today; we lunched at the Dog and Crook in Braishfield, by the way. He's now (23:00) turned in earlyish as he admits he has a bit of a cold. I'm on my final stint of chauffeuring duty tomorrow (hopefully not before he's told me how to tackle the now-defrosted tuna steaks) to get him 48 miles or so up to Sunningdale. A business colleague has then agreed to get him the remaining short hop to Heathrow tomorrow evening for his 21:00 flight. Blimey, this is exhausting! (Stop laughing, Lis.)