A Wasted Day

Ξ October 5th, 2007 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Books, Friends, Mumble, Oxford, Son, Work |

Today, things just haven't gone right – much.

I still have a cold – and its got heavier – and drove me to have to go back to bed this pm. "I'll nap for a few mins", which turned into about four hours.  So, that's a chunk of the day missed.  I was also due to go to a wine tasting this evening – but having the snots make that socially unacceptable.

My 3Com 1100 switch is refusing to 'play ball' – but, what with my cold I'm not so inclined to investigate the why in detail today. I also think my ISP was playing silly buggers as I was tweaking it – which didn't help the head scratching.  Still the Silenx fan I installed in it works a treat … so much so that I thought at first that it was duff – yes, it's that quiet that I had to see it spinning to know it was working!

I missed my son a lot.  Sometimes I think school is cruel – not from his point of view [on one of his non-moaning mornings] – but from mine.  As I work more or less totally from home these days, it seems that when I've returned from walking him in, that *my* life is cruelly affected.  It's funny how just hearing your child patter around the place can light up your heart.  He used to be Home Educated, and while that largely failed on a number of fronts for us, I do sometimes wish it were still the case – although I'd have only sneezed all over him lately and made him ill I suppose!

Just heard from a ex-Oxford friend and office mate of mine who's in Princeton: a lady who it was impossible not to soak up a smile from in any given day one was fortunate enough to be in her presence – even if it were but 'fleeting'.  Jana, I miss you – come back!  OR – at least get on Facebook!

Brian Clegg pisses me off   I just read some of his stuff: his review of a novel, and then his blog.  I hate [too strong] people who can write — I mean my 'reviews' are usually one liners, or even one word-ers ["crap", "Get it and read it", ...].  Yes, I'm sure I could do better, but I'd never be able to do 'a Clegg'.  Brian doesn't really piss me off of course – I'm just jealous!

One good thing from today – I now know what Spirax Sarco 'do'.  I've seen this company's buildings for about 20 years, and walk by their head office when I'm walking Daniel to school – but, until today – although I've often asked myself – I've not known what they actually produce.  Many years ago someone told me it was zippers, and maybe that's why it's always slipped my mind to 'go see' myself.  Anyway, today I finally remembered: it's stuff to do with boilers and steam heating.  Must say that I preferred thinking it was zips.

P.S. In the bit about Brian there are two hyper-links.  Do they appear the same to you – colour etc?  One of them is yellow/orange for me, whilst the other is a light blue.  I wish I could figure out the difference my style-sheet makes of these.  I would investigate but well, you know – atchoo!