In some respects, its been a productive week. Set about making work, um... 'work' for want of a better word, and largely did so. Got quite a bit done, and managed to retain and even enjoy a positive attitude for more than a couple of days. Managed to sell a bunch of books and the laptop on eBay, but in the process found a bunch of books to buy. Swings and roundabouts as they say. Was surprised to find myself feeling British and even somewhat emotional at the end of Simon Schama's "History of Britain" - and oddly, George Orwell came back to haunt me at the end of this week, on discovering a rather fine essay by Orwell on Gissing. Hard to imagine how someone already almost fifty years in his grave when Orwell wrote can become so strangely important to me 99 years after his death. However, there was a darker undercurrent to this week - about realising that you can't always get what you want, and that having an alternative is always a good idea. I didn't. Don't let yourself fall into the same trap.
Packed off surplus telephone to successful bidder. Set about achieving targets in a cynical 'proof of concept' manner. Did well, but feel that I've proved its not sustainable. Later, wandered in industrial East Bristol. Set out across Windmill Hill before cresting Totterdown and descending into St.Phillips via a walk alongside the Avon. Brief picnic beside the A4, watching a procession of vehicles which were somehow part of a Commonwealth Games Baton Passing Relay (sponsored by a large chocolate manufacturer). Turned back townwards via the New Cut and the Cattle Market. Hardly picturesque in many respects, but in such fine weather it was hard not to find parts of the walk rather splendid. Finished the evening lounging about on College Green. First bad hayfever day of the year - frustrating. Regretting patch to gnome-about - didn't expect holy war. Brief chat to Gman restores some faith in the idea.
Gissing's "The Emancipated" arrives - keeping the reading stack just about tall enough to sustain me until payday. Still finding things on eBay to augment it - which is really quite a bad thing considering the ever deteriorating financial position. Despite managing to avoid all but the most cursory interest in the World Cup, I watched the entire match today. Feeling somewhat 'tired and emotional' last night meant waking feeling groggy and really not getting started until late. Wandered bookshops and got coffee. Later, decided that gnome-about should surely display the version number from gnome-version.xml so set about hacking up a rather nasty little patch to do so. Filed in Bugzilla and waited for howls of derisive laughter. Some happy phonecalls today help a lot.
This week seemed very long - due to the last one being so short no doubt. After all that's happened I can't help wishing that I was undertaking the London trip tomorrow rather than last week. Work has been strange - but thankfully I'm finding friends there who I honestly feel are trustworthy. I'm such a miserable and disconnected old git these days that this is something near miraculous. Lots of balls in the air right now, and I'm not sure which way to turn next. Finishing "By The Ionian Sea" has left me with a strong desire to visit Southern Italy. There need to be some financial changes to achieve that particular goal. Built gnome-terminal with the vte widget in place of libzvt - fixes the updating problems, but introduces some crashes when several instances of gnome-terminal are around and one closes.
Lost::MikeGTN
I've had a home on the web for more years than I care to remember, and a few kind souls persuade me it's worth persisting with keeping it updated. This current incarnation of the site is centred around the blog posts which began back in 1999 as 'the daylog' and continued through my travels and tribulations during the following years.
I don't get out and about nearly as much these days, but I do try to record significant events and trips for posterity. You may also have arrived here by following the trail to my former music blog Songs Heard On Fast Trains. That content is preserved here too.
