Hah!

and it only took 2 goes....There is hope for me yet....

on not keeping up

I have been remiss - I didn't mean to go so long without an entry, but Life - and Death - -kept intruding in their casual way.
I bought a new laptop and have been struggling to get used to its new software, and a printer-scanner that I have used ONCE. What a wuss. The technical learning curve is not easy for me. Oh yes the new digital camera, which I feel embarrassed to use because, right, I am not yet familiar with it. I should have made these changes years ago, and then by now,I would be comfortable with them, now that it matters.
As it is I am struggling to collate notes and material from 4 different computers, with different software, plus notes from a dozen different notebooks, disks and pictures...
My phone has been erratic but I simply dare not 'upgrade', for fear of losing yet more data, not to mention brain cells.
It took a week, and hundreds of euro-worth of tech assistance, live and over the telephone, to connect to a wireless connection from the functioning-but-limited-to one-computer Broadband - and I still can't be sure that the offspring won't disconnect it all when he tries to hook up his latest toy, an X-Box, got from who-knows-where. I don't even ask any more, probably on EBay.
The Christmas break melted away. I worked as hard as I could and traveled to see several gardens, but cannot be sure yet that I am on the right track. There again, who can be - until their research shows up some clear indications?
What can be worse than setting off on a journey whose precise end is already decided and mapped? Yet I confess to a yearning for some familiar landmarks along the way. The actual process has not engaged me yet; it has been too tediously laden with administrative detail, exhausting travel and grappling with the totally unfamiliar, every day.
Now the new semester is here, work is piling up again - with endless readings, and a new demand for a 5000-word essay on Baroque culture (no small commitment when we are already grappling with a 20,000 word thesis on other topics).
I am still blogging on my old computer (I still prefer its XP hardware and reassuring keyboard) but mostly because I have not a clue how to find it. Yeah - I am pathetic.

The Death part - was that of my mother-in-law, sort of my ex-mother-in-law, now my ex's ex-mother. It was bizarre to get the news while on the bus coming home and I must have kept fellow passengers riveted, I later realised, while I discussed (on the mobile) the funeral arrangements with the Elder offspring in San Francisco.
MIL had decided to let the Neptune Society take care of the disposal of her ashes, so her remains were to be cremated in N Cal and then travel to S Cal, where they would join the dubious ocean off San Pedro. The seediest kind of 'glamor' to the last, I have to say, weirdly appropriate for her, the tackiest person I ever met. At least she had the forethought to make arrangements; something I have not done.

I was concerned about her sister, 5 years older than she, her niece and grandniece, and I struggled to write suitable condolence letters in between missing lectures, because my mind had gone quite blank and spending silly amounts of time at the dentist, getting titanium drilled into my jaws.
Crazy, crazy week. Now next week and trying to settle down to a steadier pace.

Ok OK Happy New Year

Yes I'm back with a whole new list of gripes, mainly that I can see that thanks to horrible male offspring, who refuses to allow me proper and sufficient access to my own computer, which hasn't enough space on it for the 2 of us anyway, I shall have to spend €1000 on a new laptop. Or one that isn't tethered to a monitor and proper keyboard, pretending that it is a desktop, anyway. I really had not wanted to put out big money on something which I would not need were HMO NOT living here, etc. Take standard rant as read.
New digital camera is still not out of the box yet as no adaptor to charge battery yet. I am sure HMO has one but no luck so far in getting it off him. And there is no way I can download pix onto overcrammed computer w/o his assistance in removing a few of his (no doubt) offensive programs off the thing. Hence my gripe at the beginning. We are really on each other's nerves at present and it aint gonna get better any time soon.
Caught up with all my fave blogs this morning when I should already have been hard at work, (got up specially early to be sure of catching mailman or parcelman bearing books long overdue, but they didn't come today either... a bit worrying) to catch up. I got back a day later than expected due to friend not appearing until after dark on these pitifully short days.
Arranged tentatively to go down to old Grange place to examine fishpond next week if weather at all decent. Hope Wednesday as Tuesday already booked for Nat Gall viewing of Francis place drawings, possibly followed by visit to Chester B to see Japanese prints and catch up with another ex-colleague and friend there. Monday I should really prepare for viewing or I am bound to make a fool of myself. All rather too much together for me but now time starts to fly and before I am at all ready for it, I'll be back at the College and head down for more stuff.
So No New Year Resolutions needed as obviously it will be all I can do to keep my head above water...