25 October 2023 (Wednesday) - A Visitor

Finding myself wide awake far too early I gave up trying to sleep, made brekkie and watched the last episode of “Foundation” on Apple TV. Now I’ve seen it all (so far…) I’m still not sure what to make of it. The show is based on a series of short stories that Isaac Asimov wrote about seventy years ago. The stories follow the collapse of an empire and the growth of its successor over hundreds of years. The stories were rather good. The TV show sort-of takes some of these stories and sort-of uses them in a rather disjointed sort of way. Watching the TV show I spent an inordinate amount of time thinking “that’s not supposed to happen” or “those characters lived a hundred years apart”. I also spent far too long concerned that a colony living in prefabricated huts was still living in those same huts a hundred years later when the writers would have us believe they were well on the way to empire themselves. But my biggest gripe with the show was that I had a vague idea what was going on because I’d read the books. Anyone who’d not read them (or had forgotten them) would have been all at sea. Just like what happened when the “Harry Potter” books were made into films.
Now that’s watched I wonder what will be occupying me in the early morning tomorrow?
 
I had a little look at the Internet as I do most mornings. It was still there. This morning there was quite a lot of talk about how more animated episodes of “Doctor Who” are to be made from the original audio footage. I’ve got some of these myself; they are rather good. There were also quite a few photos of people who’ve been out picking pumpkins. At first I thought it odd that people would be doing that mid-week, but (apparently) all the schools are on half-term this week? I’ve rather got out of touch with that sort of thing.
I sent out birthday wishes to the one friend who is having a birthday today, then got ready for work.
 
Having swapped out of doing last night's night shift, as I set off to work I found myself wishing I'd done that night shift. If I had, I wouldn't have been driving through a dark wet miserable morning to work. As I drove the pundits on the radio were banging on about how many amateur rugby games are being cancelled at the moment because clubs can't get enough members to field a team to play the games.  And professional rugby teams are concerned that with amateur teams struggling, they too will struggle to get players coming through the system, and rugby fans are worried for the future of their passion. But (so it would seem) not worried enough to go scrum down themselves. For myself I can't see the attraction of watching sport. For me sport is done, not watched. But look at the popularity of it - entire TV channels devoted to the stuff. I would seem to be in the minority on this one... Mind you, I wouldn't mind playing a game of rugby; I'm certainly up for it, if not up to it.
And there was loads of talk on the radio about the ongoing conflict in Gaza... specifically talk about the talk about the situation in Gaza. Both Sir Kier Starmer  and the Secretary General of the United Nations would seem to have either said too much or not said enough and have caused all sorts of upset and offence. Isn't it frankly amazing that what someone or other has to say about the news is considered to be more interesting than the news itself?
 
Work was dull. At tea break I had a message; “er indoors TM has taken to putting out sunflower seeds on the lock-ups outside the kitchen window at home so she can watch the birds as she works, This morning a squirrel came down for some elevensies. And three dogs who (without fail) go ballistic about squirrels in the woods apparently slept through the entire squirrine visit.
 
I came home where “er indoors TM boiled up a very good bit of dinner whilst the washing machine sorted out the undercrackers, and I had a look at the monthly accounts. Not too shabby really… they would be a whole lot better if I didn’t keep squandering good money on crap which I neither need nor want.
I wonder how they will hold up to retirement?

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