Russell Kirkpatrick's Journal
Humiliated
30-Dec-2008
... by a crossword book. Every summer Dorinda and I buy a crossword book to do. The first clue of the first puzzle (labelled 'beginner') was clog (5). Turns out the answer was sabot.
We're doomed to a long summer.
I get bored easily.
I don't mean in the course of a normal day: I have so much to do, I'm never bored. I mean in the longer term, where over a period of years I begin to hunger to try something new. I've done the atlas thing, I've done the novel thing - not that I've given up either of those things. So now I've had a crack at something new. Dorinda and I have written a children's picture book.
Dorinda teaches at a child care centre, and recently on an excursion one of the teachers lost her hat, blown away in the wind. The adventures of Michelle's hat make a great story.
Now I just have to do some illustrations ...
Think about it
23-Dec-2008
People don't think, do they. A member of the community in which a man was electrocuted by touching overhead lines says "It was a total shock."
And apparently there's a shortage of Christmas turkeys. "They're flying off the shelves," said a local shopkeeper.
It's not really laughter material. But there are some unintentionally funny headlines: check out http://funnies.paco.to/Headlines.html.
Some smile-worthy stuff there.
Smile
22-Dec-2008
I don't believe in New Year's Resolutions. I have, however, made a New Year's resolution to believe in New Year's resolutions.
And here's my resolution: I will smile more. I'm very happy. I find things to please me every day. But those who know me will testify that I don't smile much. I rely on deadpan delivery for my humour, which I use to navigate through most social situations.
So I'm going to try smiling. Imagine how Dorinda will feel if I smile when I see her. I should smile, because she makes me feel happy.
Reports later.
Green Thumbs
13-Dec-2008
Occasionally, usually by people who don't know me well, I've been entrusted with looking after other people's stuff. What usually happens is that I don't do a good job, particularly if their stuff needs maintenance or feeding. Pot plants under my care inevitably die. Cats go hungry. Lawns grow.
It's not that I don't care, it's just that I'm obsessive. 'No!' I hear my friends cry, sarcastically. 'We never knew that!' Well, yes, I know you know, but I'm telling you, don't leave me in charge of anything organic, all right?
I'm so obsessive I can plunge into a new project and not notice things around me wither away - things like carefully nurtured blogs, for example. Both of you who read this must have given up on me by now.
Sorry.
And that's all you're going to get. Because I have found new projects! I have begun a new story sequence - having moved away from Faltha (but not epic fantasy, although the clothes this story wears might surprise you). And I have also begun a new mapping project: a Census Area Unit cartogram of New Zealand. No, I'm not going to explain unless someone insists.
So after six weeks I've notived my blog has dried out and gone a limp brown colour. Let's see if some water revives it.