Wednesday 2 December 2009

Tau tured glimpse into the brain of Z

I've started transferring next year's appointments from the back of my diary to the new one. I considered taking them both on holiday and doing it one night when I'd gone back to my bedroom but decided the discipline (I have to choose to be relaxed, do you? It doesn't come of its own accord) of being diary-free for ten days was too good for me to forego. It's terribly boring, this transcription, so I'm glad I didn't take them. Last year I couldn't be bothered to write in regular things so I kept being taken by surprise for the first couple of months, by when I'd learnt the error of my ways and did the job properly.

Oh. That reminds me, I mustn't forget to do next year's Meals on Wheels rota.

I dislike the tyranny of a diary as much as I rely on it. I've tried using a desktop diary or an online one, but I have to have a paper diary with me too. I do know people who are careful not to carry one, so that they can't be pushed into making a commitment they don't want to, but you only have to make notes on a bit of paper and phone up to confirm afterwards, so I can't be bothered with that. In the event of it being something I really didn't want to do, I could always extricate myself by saying that the Sage has arranged something for us both without telling me. Not that I'd lie about it or anything, oh no, as if. Anyway, the home-based diary was meant to be for both of us to fill in, so that we'd know what was going on, but in practice it was only me who wrote in it, and I had to check with the Sage and write his appointments too, so that didn't last longer than a year. The most useful thing about the one on the computer was that it would fill in the regular events automatically. I make notes against appointments - another thing I learned from my mother's imprecision - she was always saying to me - "who's *JL* and why would I be meeting him or her in Norwich next Tuesday. And where in Norwich?" One always thinks one will remember.

It's the same with the garden. You think you'll remember where you planted bulbs and what variety of bean is which, but it's not so easy once they've grown*. One year, I'd not had enough labels (no, BW, I don't buy them, I cut up yoghurt pots and suchlike) and devised a method to remember which tomato plants were which, and then Al kindly potted them on and wasn't quite sure of my method. We rather took pot luck that year with some varieties. We had an awful lot of tomatoes too, as Al could only sell the labelled ones. We probably made as many soups and sauces as Dave.

That reminds me, I must clear out the plants from the greenhouses. And start on the list of seeds for next year. I've got a couple of weeks to go for that - the gardening club gets a sizeable discount so it's worth my while. I can't remember if I told you, I'm going to have a new asparagus bed next year. Mine has been there over 20 years and is well past its best. It's also full of perennial weeds which can't be dug out. I think I'll chuck carpet on top and leave it for a year to kill off the lot.

We went out for lunch with friends today. D and her brother F, who was up for the day. The Sage and his siblings grew up with them. Theirs is an extremely posh family, and when the Sage's sister was asked at tea if she would like butter or jam and she innocently asked for both, it went down quite badly. In those days, the posher the family, the simpler food the children lived on. We didn't have bread and jam at teatime, with or without butter, so I don't know how posh we were. We had a cup of Earl Grey without milk.

By happy coincidence, the Sage has just brought me a cup of tea. He is eating a jam sandwich. I wonder if it's buttered.

*I observe belatedly that this makes no sense. I mean, of course, that I don't remember the bulbs the next autumn when they're not visible or the beans when they're sprouted but not yet fruited. As you realised and kindly didn't mention. Lucky Dave is away. Though not for any other reason, don't we miss him terribly?

17 comments:

Marion said...

Mailed your card today. You may never see it. Postage was being affixed when suddenly a man pushed his way to the counter and yelled that his mail had been stolen. The (new) clerk tried to get info about the incident when he shouted that he knew it was she who had stolen it. The rattled clerk put your card to the side and I fear it got put into the out bin with enough postage for the trip. A man at the rear of the line yelled out we were lucky that snakes had hibernated, as this summer this same complainer threatened to throw one behind the counter. So Christmas season has officially begun here.

Christopher said...

Goodness, what drama! Not certain I can follow this...

...all this, Z, sounds like a miracle of improvised organisation - my postal address 'book' is a heap of little bits of paper shoved into a drawer.

I'm sure The Sage knows what side his bread is buttered on.

Z said...

Gosh, Marion. I never knew Kentucky was so exciting. I hope your card turns up. I mean, both the one I sent you and the one you sent me, so I must mean cards.

While I was away, a chap went a bit haywire in town and went into the toy shop and bought a spud gun and then went into various other shops brandishing it and saying threatening things. I understand that his mother in law came and took him away.

Ooh yes, Christopher, I hadn't observed that interpretation. But we both do. Actually, in my case, on both sides. With jam.

My address book is a few decades old. The letter S takes up three pages, including the rest of the alphabet. There are, I'm sad to say, many crossings-out. I mean to put the info on the computer but I can't quite be bothered.

Dave said...

John Lewis.

Blue Witch said...

"next year's Meals on Wheels rota."

I can't believe it's a year since you last mentioned you were doing this.

As you mention it... I *used* to cut up plastic pots for labels. Now I ask for them for the FOTCR™ because there's nothing else I want and some people insist on buying me 'things'. I do use them for several years though - putting them in the dishwasher until the ink comes off.

Z said...

Possible Dave, but remember we Nor folk still call it Bonds. Lovely to see you, dear heart.

I know, it's one of the things I only do annually but I really find annoying. And no, I don't want plant labels for Christmas. I'd rather have packets of seeds, for instance.

Anonymous said...

I am part way through transferring info to my new diary too. It's so boring, I do a month at a time usually but keep getting a year's worth of meetings for various things at work. At work I keep a paper and online diary - the online one means people can't book me for meetings when I have something else on but I need the paper one on my desk because (a) our IT system is unreliable and (b) other people can't see it if they come into my room and I am not there. At least they know where I am or where one of my team members is as I put their leave/courses etc in it too.
My address book is years old - I can't be bothered to transfer the info to a new one; I just went through and put blank labels over redundant addresses a few years ago and that gave me lots of space for new ones, as well as making sure I used the up to date address for those friends who keep moving.

Z said...

I chose the right day to mention Dave so missingly, didn't I?

I've finally finished it, CA - that is, as far as I can. Haven't put in the dreaded MoW until I've done the rota. No appointments in September, October or December yet apart from regular things

Good idea, the blank labels. I think it's too late for my book, which is highly scribbled on.

DILLIGAF said...

Let's get this straight.

You are transferring diary entries from one to another?

I may have missed some'at here.

I so so hope I have.

Transferring??? From one diary to another????

I need a drink.

No change there then....;-)

Z said...

Oh darling, I didn't meant to confuse, though I did consider saying tau tuous as well as tau tured.

I've been writing appointments for next year in the back of this year's diary for the last two or three months. Now I've got a 2010 diary, I'm transferring the information.

martina said...

I bought a new address book this year and used a pencil. Easy to correct or delete.
Just tea for after school? Here the favorite after school snack was buttered graham crackers and a glass of milk.
What are you going to grow in the garden next year?

Dave said...

I use a filofax diary, and print my own A5 pages (giving me more space on Sundays, for a start). This means I always have diary pages at least a year ahead, so can always write dates straight in.

Z said...

I've considered the filofax option Dave, but they're too big to carry around in my bag. Even the ones that don't take A5 pages are too bulky.

If I could come up with a good way of encasing it, designing and printing my own diary would be good as I could choose a layout to suit me. But I have to have it with me all the time so it's got to be small enough for a handbag and not likely to tear.

Z said...

Oh sorry Martina - afternoon tea was just that. When I was little, I probably had milk but I can't remember what I was given to eat. I had the tiniest appetite. We had a proper dinner later of course.

I'll let you know when I've done the seed order!

badgerdaddy said...

Dave must be very special, he got two new names here - Lucky Dave and Possible Dave. Are there more Daves?

Rosaria Williams said...

Hi, thanks for visiting me and introducing yourself. I'm delighted to follow you around too.

Z said...

There's Filofax Option Dave, Badge - are you hinting that I should make more use of the comma?

Thanks for returning the visit, Lakeviewer!