Small glimpses of an ordinary life

It’s been pretty eerily quiet round these parts, considering how prolific I normally tend to be.

I got my first author autograph at the company party last weekend. Quite a thrill!

I’ve joined Second Life.

Basically, I’m spending a lot of time reading. I’m reading a manuscript right now that is blowing my mind.

It’s amazing how worn out one can get from commuting to and from Edinburgh every day.

And there’s something suddenly quite funky (not cool — smelly) going on with the home Internet connection; goblins and elves must be making mischief, as I never seem to be able to maintain a consistent connection, but Neil has no problems when he plugs the cable into his laptop. WTF is going on there, I don’t know.

It makes my obsessive re-designitis quite difficult to satisfy.

We’ve spent the last three to four weekends helping Neil’s sister paper and paint her room. She estimates that she should be able to move into it in a week’s time. Which means we should (in theory) be able to move into the address I’ve been using as my mailing address — although not into the room we’re meant to use — soon after that.

I have discovered that I’m pretty good with a paintbrush and good old emulsion. Let’s just say second coats may not be needed when I’m around. And I’m getting irrationally excited at the prospect of our next trip to Ikea.

We swapped our car insurance yesterday, and we are now driving the new (old) car. It’s pretty much the same as our last (old) car, just slightly less old and with more doors.

I’ve just got a couple of tips for you: read The Law of Dreams by Peter Behrens. It’s amazing. When it’s published, you have to read The Poison that Fascinates by Jennifer Clement.

• 24 Aug 2007

• Thinking