Day Off Ramblings

Quotation of the day ~ Ian McEwan: However, withered, I still feel myself to be exactly the same person I've always been. Hard to explain that to the young. We may look truly reptilian, but we're not a separate tribe.

Finally getting around to reading Ian McEwan's latest novel, "Sweet Tooth," which i bought over a month ago, but hadn't managed to open until just recently. My, that man can write! The prose flows. (The above is a quotation from what is probably his best book, "Atonement." )

Yes, it's my day off, at last, and i'm quite knackered after a very stressful week at the beanery.  The Easter weekend is traditionally a very slow one in the restaurant biz (where, as penance for the sins of a previous life, i am employed). Well, in brief, tradition was blown all to smithereens this weekend: we got (to use an industry term) smoked every day of it. I mean, i like to be busy -- it means i get paid every week -- but it can get ridiculous at times.

So, i spent the morning listening to the radio online (www.boom973.com to be precise), scrubbed dear Catieboo's litterbox, did minimal housework, went out for breakfast -- to A & W, for two sausage 'n' eggers, probably the only thing on their entire menu that i like -- sat with my butt parked in front of the computer for a while, and then ate lunch (a roast beef samwidge on a kaiser) and watched this DVD:

Errmmm.... I didn't like it that much. Meg Ryan was magnificent but it was a pretty sordid tale and rather a mess, really. I should stick to sci-fi/fantasy/action/adventure. I'm too old to have to try to cope with sexual politics...













And here's the latest from my CD collection:

And that's all for today, boys and girls

My Day Off

Quotation of the day: W.C Fields -- Some weasel took the cork out of my lunch.

Je suis, as we say in French, pissed off. My day off, right?  And as my regular reader will know, i only get one a week. (I'm supposed to get one and a half, but the half-day off rarely happens.)

This morning, i had to 'phone my landlord.  I have a leaking tap in my bathtub, and a leaking tap in my kitchen.  I really hate having anyone in my apartment if i'm not there, and so i stayed in all day awaiting a plumber.

This afternoon, around 4 o'clock, aforementioned abovementioned landlord called -- the plumber will be here tomorrow.

GRRRRRRRRRRRR.

So (a) my day off is wasted, in fruitless waiting and (b) someone will be here tomorrow when i'm not.

Well, maybe it wasn't entirely wasted -- i watched four (yes, four) episodes of "Hill Street Blues."

What a great series that was....

My Day Off

Quotation of the day: Alan Coren -- I wonder sometimes if manufacturers of foolproof items keep a fool or two on their payroll to test things.

I've discovered the secret to having a great day off.  I only get one a week and i have, in the past, made all of these huge plans for it, and am then disappointed when i wind up sitting in front of the computer all day and accomplishing nothing.


So now, i've stopped planning to do anything, and i'm brilliant at it.  Well, it's hereditary.  When my dear old Dad (r.i.p.) retired, he would often say that he'd finally found something he was good at: doing nothing.


Now if only i could find someone who would pay me to stay home....

Day Off!

Quotation Of The Day: Emmanuel Kant --  All the interests of my reason, speculative as well as practical, combine in the three following questions: 1. What can I know? 2. What ought I to do? 3. What may I hope?

After a complete and utter bullshit week at work (i'll spare you the sordid details), i finally have a day off.  And what, i hear you ask, have i done?  Went to the beer store; two loads of laundry; scrubbed Cate's litterbox; started last night's supper dishes....

On a more cerebral level, though....

I bought two new CDs last week, and these are they:

The Paul Simon is really nice.  Not as groundbreaking as "Graceland" of course -- that was a once-in-a-lifetime deal --but pretty good for an old geezer.  (No, i'm not referring to myself, how dare you).  So i listened to that and then to Kate & Anna, and their "new" album is a real treasure.

It's a 3-CD set.  Discs 1 & 2 are remastered versions of their first two albums, which are and always have been utter magic, but it's disc 3 that's the draw here: previously-unreleased recordings & demos, which are invariably delightful.

But why, oh why, has their "The Logdriver's Waltz ever been released on CD?



Anyway, after all of that i was in a Rory Gallagher mood and watched disc 1 of the "Live At Montreux" DVD.  Funny how, when i'm in a crappy frame of mind, Rory always gives me the energy to keep going.  The Beatles have the power to do that, too, but Rory had so much energy himself that it inspires me.

I should probably finish doing last night's supper dishes now, and start on tonight's supper....