journal of a writing man

I spent a little over a week plodding through HTML5 tutorials, working examples, studying other folks’ source and then…

“This stuff is all too ‘look, mum, how clever I am,” I said in my best deep doom and gloom tones.

Graham huffed at me and said:  “Told you so.”

“Did you?  I have no recollection of such advice.”

“Well, if I didn’t I should have.  And I’d have been right, too.”

And that was about it for me and HTML5.  It’s easier than it looks at first sight but it is far, far too clever for its own good.  Another case of a solution looking for a problem, I’m afraid, at least it is for me.

Then I found that sitting indoors at the computer for all those lost hours had sparked off my winter cough once more and I’m only just recovering.

Getting older has almost nothing at all to do with getting wiser.

I did get some good news on Wednesday however.  The consultant venous specialist says that the scans and tests indicate that the deep veins in my leg are in good order–no risk of DVT–and that the secondary veins are pretty good, too.  There is some ‘incompetence’ in the lymphatic system, causing spill-over into the surrounding tissue, and that’s what is causing the swelling.

No need for surgery, but I’m to start wearing an elastic support stocking on my left leg to reduce the swelling and then to keep it under control.

“You won’t enjoy that, I’m afraid,” the guy said.

“No.  I don’t suppose I shall.  Hey ho.  Needs must.”

That’s a good attitude.  Stick with it, and we’ll have you walking normally inside six months.”

So I’m waiting for him to write to my GP, and for her to call me in for measurement and discussion on the best way to get the darn thing on and learn to live with it.

What a joy.

“I seem to have forgot my HTML,” I said, all gloom and doom.

“Does that matter?”

“Not really.  Though you’d think that after all these years, running from GML onwards that it’d be stuck in my brain well and truly.”

“Yeah, but does it matter?”

“No, of course not.  It’s just that I’m wrestling with the annual index update for my journal and it is proving darn difficult.”

“Have a nice cup of coffee and see if it helps.”

Funny thing is that it did.  A good deep and rich espresso along with two little caramel biscuits got my brain ticking over and I was able to get the job done.  Not well, but well enough.

“What will you do now?” Graham asked, all bright and innocent.

“I think I shall learn HTML5.  For the challenge, you know.”

“Ah.  That’s my boy.”

We went to IKEA today, driving through miserable weather to Cardiff.

“Oh, goody,” I said when Graham suggested the outing. “Now I’ll be able to find something to write about.”

Wrong.

Yesterday was the last of our Christmas shut-in days–five days since we were out and about.  It has been a lovely, lazy time, but we’re both of us more than ready to get out, breathe some fresh air, and see other people.

So today… we went shopping.

“Are you sure you want to do this?  Surely we have enough food in to keep us going into January?” I asked as we piled into the car.

“Yes, of course we have.  We need some fresh bread, though, and it’d be nice to get milk.  And some ordinary food.”

And that was how we found ourselves in the supermarket on a bitter, rainy day, rubbing shoulders with the grumpiest, most dour-faced old fuddy-duddies I’ve seen for a long time.  And the scattering of younger folks were little better.  It was unusual for Morrison’s.  We settled on this supermarket because the people are generally cheerful and polite.

“What’s wrong with this lot today?” I asked Graham.

“Like as not they’ve just today realised how much money they’ve spent over the holiday.”

“Ah.  You’re probably right.”

“I take it we’re not in the same state?”

“Goodness, no.  In fact I just this morning paid the last of the bills off.  Our Christmas is all bought and paid for.”

“Wow.  Who’s a clever chicken, then?”

“Me.  Me.  Me.”

And so we poddled along, got to the check-out, paid our bill with the welcome aid of a £25 coupon from the supermarket, the reward for saving check-out receipts since November, and walked out into a fresh blast of icy rain and horrid, cruel wind.

We didn’t like that, but even so we ended up smiling, and drove away to leave the grumpies to their own devices.