A belated happy 100th birthday to President Carter, and a happy new year to those who celebrate ( Read more... )

Had my annual phone call from the money woman this morning, who says the money I want from them and the money they feel comfortable giving me exactly matches hurray, supposing markets don't completely crash, but also that at that rate I will run out of capital in nine years or so and will have to live on my house. Which she's nudging me to think ( Read more... )

Two nights of disturbed sleep for no reason I know of. It's very disconcerting for me to wake up to darkness several times. Once yes, but three times? Anyway, last night got me two literary dreams: the first was a Dick Francis novel which sleeping brain thought was one of his real ones, just in technicolour. Details gone so I don't know if it was ( Read more... )

There was a helicopter or two buzzing the area as I limped down to the library this evening, round and round and round and driving me frantic. More evidence of neurodiversity, maybe? Couldn't think what or whom they might be looking for, but neighbourhood FB group said someone threw a suspicious package through the window of a business down ( Read more... )

Didn't go out yesterday. Instead sorted through a ripped paper bag full of VISA statements and ancient tax returns needing to be shredded, separating out utility bills that can just be recycled. Did a lot of bending to do this- everything was on the floor- and today I have deep aches on the inside of both legs ( Read more... )

A reasonably satisfactory day. Dealt with my wibbly anxiety du jour by calling the accountant to ask about my tax return. Last year it was done in ten days. We're now approaching three weeks. At least I knew they got it because I took a photo of the tracking number and then applied it to all the courier services-- since I failed to note which ( Read more... )

Apropos of yesterday's furor, I wish I had made a note of the passage in one of the early Rivers of London novels where Peter remarks of black women's hair, that you do not touch it under any circumstances without permission, not if you're friends, not if you're sleeping together, not even if you're married. The same could be said about talking ( Read more... )

Spent the last two days ereading books and doing nothing else ( Read more... )

Hard to tell with the persistent grey skies but I'd guess 9/10s of my blossoms have scattered, turning next door's yard into a Yayoi Kusama installation. Two doors down still glows mightily white but green begins to appear at the tips, meaning the end is near.

Finished?

Pratchett, The Light Fantastic-- well, at least I've read it now ( Read more... )

As someone said about similar circumstances to my own. So, I've finally read The Silmarillion, AKA 'why we can't have nice things', as well as most of Unfinished Tales, and will now know more or less who everyone is in those First Age LOTR fics. Or maybe not. Still can't tell you you who Finrod is off the bat, or Finarfin or Thingol or any of the ( Read more... )