Another Friday at work. I was glad to hear that Pete made it home yesterday, even if the medical community has given him a hard time again. It is Amanda's 40th birthday 'do' tonight, so I will go for a drink or two. Keili is back around, having vanished into mainland Splott for a while. The kitchen is still in upheaval (and apparently the ceiling has to come down!) I still bath while everyone else uses the new shower (nothing like a hot soak for the old aches and pains, and you can't read in the shower...)

It all seems very hectic to me this year, without actually going anywhere. As an old fireside dog I feel sort of chivvied and hustled. When I was a puppy it would have been me bouncing around waiting to 'do' things, but now I just want to curl up and snooze. This is when I REALLY hate youth culture worship - as I am supposed to be aspiring to 'not looking my age' (although I am expected to act my age, I notice).

Growing old as disgracefully as ever. Irresponsible and incorrigible to the last.

Still, with the autumn coming on, and the light fading early, it would be strange not to be doing a little nostalgia for the summer that never (quite) was.

I have just noticed that (when testing the possibility of posting to the blog by e-mail) I sent one from my work mail (Council's version of Outlook) yesterday, and it didn't arrive, even yet. Nor did I get a message back (as happens) about inappropriate use of Council resources or whatever. I'll wait and see.

If anyone wants to know, I did the posting in my teabreak, and it is all (anyway) part of my job to understand the new resources becoming available - right now I am mentoring various members of staff in how to use online conferencing, for instance. So there.

Actually, I don't understand why it would be particularly useful, as most places I could email from would also let me visit Blogger direct. Still, perhaps that curious 'mobile phone' culture out there could use it.

I am a Selective Luddite.

You'd have to understand my delight in Dylan Moran or WC Fields or Diogenes (to name but three) to see why I don't think of my despairing rants as negative.

I WILL delete the tests eventually...meanwhile I think the only way I can use this is to drop random thoughts into it, and then feel so guilty about half-formed thoughts and half-baked ideas that I will feel forced to shape them up.

Last night I reminded Julie that a few weeks ago I was doing one of my rants, and she expressed boredom. I said, flippantly, that I was practising my rants (like Bill Hicks or George Carlin, say) - and her devastating response was, "Yes, but the difference is that you're not funny!"

Actually, she didn't remember any of that, last night.

I realise that I go and on about my main obsessions, and that (as those include capitalism, the folly of mortgages, the horror of cars, the nightmare of a civilization built on debt, etc) she is entitled to feel 'got at'. Hey Ho.

Hardly a prize winning site are we? I have enjoyed the growth of blogs, but only have a little time to explore them.

I enjoyed digging around in the 5k sites, however. That's some achievement! [non-programmer speaking]. If you don't know about this, there is an explanation here

On we go. I am feeling a bit old right now, with Keili here [I am two and a half times older than him, and he's a grown man] - as he and Rhiannon hang out like siblings. On my day off now I can find R on the sofa with the remote control and the phone, and K locked into the computer. I don't quite know how to act, of course, having never been an effective parent figure. I am neither an equal nor an elder. It's all too noisy and bouncy for me - and combined with the building work reminds me what an old buffer I have become, after all...

It comes to us all. At a Travellers Awareness day at the library recently I was reminded that the average life span for male Gypsy/Travellers in the UK - RIGHT NOW - is 54 years...so I guess I am doing well.

The autumn is on its way, the sun sinks lower over the house, and there is less time (almost none) to bask after a working day.

The rains will start all too soon - and the wind, of course. Fireside time coming up. Could be worse. [Like we could lose the roof in the middle of winter. Oh, that IS THE PLAN.] sigh.

You can tell the gloom is upon me - but these are passing clouds. I don't mean to just drag everyone down, but it's a diary, and I go up and down. It's just the way of the bodymind. May you be healthy and happy - and have some fun, all in your own good time.

There. Happy now?

Time flying by. I completely missed my sister's birthday on August 31st. I had a week in which I performed, worked in the library, put up our big top to be the drag queen cabaret for Mardi Gras, worked in the library, then took the tent down again - all while other people were having a National Holiday, etc.

I mised snail mail card, then email on the day, then the belated birthday greeting. Sorry Julia, I hope it was a fine time, and the usual Aquarian apology for missing it completely, while thinking about you throughout the day in question (but that hardly counts, except to an Air sign, I guess.)

Busy times.

Keili is still here, and we are squeezing in some good talks. The building work drags on, but the kitchen is beginning to look pretty amazing (no thanks to me). I still dread the loft conversion (taking the roof off in the winter!)

I must get back into Blogger, and explore some of the wonderful new controls that come with ProBlogger. I can't put this up for competition with so little thought put into the 'look' OR the content. Ho Hum.

I still have three other blogs on the system, a couple of private hidden ones and the previous public one. I should work out how to pull them down and archive or store any of the good stuff.

There's Dog Tired and Bone Weary
Thinking Allowed
and Home from Home