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Half a year, half a year, half a year onward
Well, I don't think I've ever had such a long period of LJ truancy. It's not that I've been depressed, inactive or in a vegetative state, but I did get to a point where I wasn't sure that I had much to say that would have been of general interest here. For example, I've had plenty of fun trips with my lodger, Yuko, and more recently, Moe, my new, second lodger, who was in Bristol for a while 5 years ago and no doubt crops up in entries from that time but had to return to Japan (where she is a nurse) because of Covid. Each adventure had its own incidents - but were they different enough from previous trips to warrant a whole new entry? Perhaps - but in any case, it didn't get done.
I also went to Japan again, this time in the company of my daughter and her boyfriend - my first non-solo trip! For that reason, I didn't blog it as I usually do, because I was too busy inducting these Nipponic neophytes into the ways of that most rewarding country. It was a great two weeks, though, and I think I can safely say that I converted them to something approaching my own state of besotment.
The UK election came and went, and of course I had many thoughts about it all, but none that couldn't have been predicted from earlier entries. Tl;dr, I'm glad the Tories are out, but the possibility of fundamental improvement that flourished briefly under Corbyn is long gone, and Starmer, with his authoritarianism, reheated austerity policies (except for the rich) and lack of any political or moral core, is barely an improvement on - indeed, only marginally different from - Sunak. Also, his health minister seems about as transphobic as Kemi Badenoch could wish.
On the other hand, I got promoted to Professor last month - which was very pleasing. Perhaps it should have happened earlier - I was startled to read in the official letter that I was now (at 61) an "early-career professor" - but I'd never actually applied before, which makes me feel a little like the hapless protagonist of Kafka's short story, 'Before the Law'. It probably means that there were a lot of committees I never had to sit on that I might otherwise have been obliged to chair, but perhaps other, more exciting opportunities would also have come my way? We'll never know.
In general, my own life has been pleasant this last half year. I've enjoyed good health (no recurrence of the detached retina), plentiful friends, my daughter and Will only a ten-minute walk away, and even a blessedly cool summer (though that was not everyone's perspective on it). My cat, Maisie, went missing for 9 days but turned up unharmed under a shipping container at the end of the street, and has now put the whole distressing incident thoroughly behind her. None of this calm weather makes for ideal blogging, perhaps.
Anyway, apologies to whoever might have been wondering about my whereabouts - and indeed to my future self, who may in her dotage wish to use this journal to help sort out her muddled memories. I'll try to do better in future.
I also went to Japan again, this time in the company of my daughter and her boyfriend - my first non-solo trip! For that reason, I didn't blog it as I usually do, because I was too busy inducting these Nipponic neophytes into the ways of that most rewarding country. It was a great two weeks, though, and I think I can safely say that I converted them to something approaching my own state of besotment.
The UK election came and went, and of course I had many thoughts about it all, but none that couldn't have been predicted from earlier entries. Tl;dr, I'm glad the Tories are out, but the possibility of fundamental improvement that flourished briefly under Corbyn is long gone, and Starmer, with his authoritarianism, reheated austerity policies (except for the rich) and lack of any political or moral core, is barely an improvement on - indeed, only marginally different from - Sunak. Also, his health minister seems about as transphobic as Kemi Badenoch could wish.
On the other hand, I got promoted to Professor last month - which was very pleasing. Perhaps it should have happened earlier - I was startled to read in the official letter that I was now (at 61) an "early-career professor" - but I'd never actually applied before, which makes me feel a little like the hapless protagonist of Kafka's short story, 'Before the Law'. It probably means that there were a lot of committees I never had to sit on that I might otherwise have been obliged to chair, but perhaps other, more exciting opportunities would also have come my way? We'll never know.
In general, my own life has been pleasant this last half year. I've enjoyed good health (no recurrence of the detached retina), plentiful friends, my daughter and Will only a ten-minute walk away, and even a blessedly cool summer (though that was not everyone's perspective on it). My cat, Maisie, went missing for 9 days but turned up unharmed under a shipping container at the end of the street, and has now put the whole distressing incident thoroughly behind her. None of this calm weather makes for ideal blogging, perhaps.
Anyway, apologies to whoever might have been wondering about my whereabouts - and indeed to my future self, who may in her dotage wish to use this journal to help sort out her muddled memories. I'll try to do better in future.
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Nonetheless, I am glad to hear about your cat. And your promotion!
(I still think your dolmen photo is great.)
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Good to have you blogging again!
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Professor eh? There's posh! :o)
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