2009 — 12 July: Sunday
Although Christa's favourite colour was red I sometimes managed to persuade her to try other colours. I remember buying her a beautiful pale blue leather suit in Guernsey back in 1977, and this not-so-pale turquoise bikini even earlier. I had no say, ever, in her choice of hair colour. I took this photo in the back garden of our rented flat in the summer of 1975:
Christa in Old Windsor, summer 1975
It was good to see all that NASA footage again, and to hear Eno's evocative music. I bought the Al Reinert film, originally, on pre-recorded VHS...
... and we watched it together, many years ago. It reminded me, powerfully, of that lovely 1954 SF short story "The far look" by Theodore L Thomas (you can find that in the fifth of the "Spectrum" anthologies edited by Kingsley Amis and Bob Conquest back in 1966). I also had the famous "Earthrise" poster, of course, as a student. What I wouldn't give to have gone1 into space. Fascinating stuff.
Oh well, G'night at — good grief! — 01:35 or so. Yawn.
Sluggish slothfulness
Entirely my own fault, if I will keep reading. I switched off the bedside light at 04:33 just as the dawn chorus was warbling into action. Now at 11:03 I'm on my second cuppa, the next batch of crockpottery is (I hope) simmering towards tasty nutritional perfection, and I expect my breakfast appetite will eventually show up.
Pain in the...
I would have thought a male midwife was courting more than controversy by suggesting "it's good for women to suffer the pain of a natural birth". But then, I'm only a chap; what would I know? Well... I do know that Christa had an extremely high tolerance of pain — believe me — and, although our lad "popped out" within 15 minutes of getting her to hospital, she was screaming for an epidural nonetheless. (It was too late for that.)
Can it be true?
A nasty little assertion about the improvements to the A43 road (which, I deduce(!), leads people to the vicinity of the Silverstone car race track):
In an episode the government tried to suppress, Sir Richard Mottram, the most senior civil servant in the Department of Transport, objected that this £8m investment was not value for money, but was overruled by Tony Blair. Downing Street said the decision was "in the national interest". And of course, for anyone who had come to appreciate, like Mr Blair, that Mr Ecclestone's interests were synonymous with national ones, the thing made perfect sense.
One of the comments suggests — possibly as if this makes it OK — "The extra £8 million were pumped in by Byers to get it through quicker." There are others well worth reading, too. Curiously, I find myself almost as disenchanted with the current government as I was with the Tory gang who preceded them all those years ago. Must be the way their policies and attitudes have apparently converged. Isn't there a benevolent term-limited dictator2 we could try for a while?
Thank goodness one of the last bastions of taste and rationality (BBC2) is showing a funny film later today for my delectation:
Coarse comedy? Pah! Funnily enough, Bazza's creator was on "Desert Island Discs" a few weeks ago.
Forget "citizen"...
... and think "consumer unit". So much more 21st-century, don't you agree? Click the pic for the full-size graphic and be amazed:
Suppose we were all like this? Mind you, I do my bit. More good stuff here. Clock this!
If the BBC 6Music news is to be believed, our lovely guvmint wants to give me a swine 'flu "jab". Well, there's a first time for everything, I suppose. It's 17:38 and the rain has held off. In fact, it would have been quite nice walking weather. Still, we have an outline plan for a spot of exercise tomorrow. Speaking of 6Music, the ever-delightful "Freak Zone" is now playing some soundtrack music from one of the odder films in my DVD library:
Written by Stelvio Cipriani. It's 18:30 and time to crack open that steaming crockpot. I'm hungry (again).
Later
It's 22:35 and the rest of the (delicious) crockpot is now nicely chilling out, as it were, in the fridge. I think I shall try Mock the Week tonight, for a change. Which reminds me; my friend Gill still has my DVD of their "Too hot for TV" compilation. It's about time I paid her and Chris a visit. My word, Guy Garvey plays some fabulous music on his "finest hour".
Whoa, Nelly! Isn't this the same religion that my neighbour is trying to get me interested in??? Mind you, this is just as bizarre. I'd hate not to be thought of as an equal opportunity offender. Quick! Need a dose of sanity. And a cuppa. Phew.