Sunday 11 September 2011

Over the hump it's downhill all the way

I woke this morning to hear it raining steadily.  A little later, it poured harder and I went downstairs to check none was coming in at the vulnerable window.  The work that the Sage and Jamie did a few weeks ago has cured the problem, none was coming in and the paving outside the side door, which Jamie took great care over, had no sign of a puddle.  One cannot see a slope, but it does drain slightly, to the side away from the house.

By the time I left the house at 7.30, it had stopped and soon the sun was shining, which was jolly good as it was Zerlina's birthday party today.  Since her actual birthday was so close to Gus's due birth date, it had been decided just to have the family over then and save a get-together with her friends until later.  We didn't go, but Squiffany and co did, it was held here (there is music on the linked site, in case you're at work!), Weeza works for the owner, who has children around Zerlina's age (which was how she came upon her job, she met their mother at toddler get-togethers) and it was a lovely day for it.  It was going to be in the morning, but of course the guests would have all-day passes, so once the party itself was finished, anyone could spend the day there if they wanted to.

The Sage had a business appointment in Ipswich; we had intended to go out together but plans were scuppered by that.  Just as well someone was about as Big Pinkie got out yet again - I don't know where, I couldn't find anywhere obvious, and it wasn't easy to open a gap in the wire to let her home again.  She was waiting by the field, wanting to get back in to be with her two companions, that wasn't the difficulty.  Managed it in the end and tempted her with a couple of apples, then I went over onto the field on the house side on the beck and called her over with the aid of a couple more.  The Sage and I went over and mended where I'd let her in, later.  She's a rascal, but very sweet-natured.

I mentioned numbers yesterday.  I am not very good at remembering numbers, so I have to work out arithmetical links.  My friend John told me, years ago, that he was taught at some time to have a picture association with each digit - the example he used was, if a bed is 1 and a swan is 2 (because a swan on the water with its curved neck looks a bit like a 2), 21 could bring a mental image of a swan sitting on a bed.  I wasn't sure it would work for me, I don't have much imagination and wouldn't be able to think of or remember the images (he's an accomplished artist so his brain is wired differently from mine).  And how would I know whether it was 21 or 12?  No, what I do is multiply or think up simple number links.  Which seem to some people to be quite relatively complicated.

For example, my old mobile phone number.  07884002278.  They all start with 0, so that was no problem, and then I had to remember 7, but then added one and it was a double number so that was easy, then I halved it and there was another double which made it 400, then the 4 was halved again and that was a double number again, and it finished as it started, except for the 0.  And I thought, 07 double 8, 4 hundred, double 2, 78.

Weeza's phone number in London was 020 72787397. The recurring 7 was the key there.  I had to say, 0207 (which I knew because it was a central London number - I know the 7 comes at the start of the second batch, but I couldn't remember it without the correct intonation) 27 (which repeated the 2, which helped) 87 397.

The local telephone numbers all start (after the code) 89, followed by 4 digits, which gives me problems.  It's like breaking a code, there isn't enough to go on.  I remember the numbers, just not whose phones they apply to.  I can remember my PINs, however, because I apply myself.

As for numbers I like - these are not lucky numbers, I don't have lucky numbers - these are usually related to my age.  I think that the year before the change of decade is too much like standing on one leg with the other about to step forward, so I'm not too fond.  Last decade was different, because it was a square  I like squares and am looking forward to 64, as it will be both square and cube, the only time I will have such an event except when I was a year old.  I am fond of ages that are divisible by 3, especially if they are the product of two prime numbers.  69 will be brilliant, upside down, back to front, 23x3 so product of two primes, and generally enjoyable in all ways.

In fact, I have little objection to the 'up' years in any decade anyway.  Roses always thinks of Wednesday as the 'hump' day in the middle of the week, but then it's downhill swiftly to the weekend.  The downward slope of a decade is just leading on to be 10 years older overnight.

21 comments:

Tim said...

Viv used to use a similar method, finding patterns involving primes, repeating sequences, sums and multiples etc. I could never get my brain round that. I turn them into the lyrics of tunes (which are things I can easily remember).
BTW, belated birthday greetings! 23x3 is OK so far.

Z said...

Really? I've never come across anyone who does it too - not that I've discussed it with that many people.

Glad that 23x3 is going well, I look forward to it. 29x2 feels fine in itself, it's just a 'meh' number.

Z said...

Lyrics of tunes?

Rog said...

96 Tears by Question Mark & the Mysterians.

LẌ said...

Ex's mobile phone number includes 666, which is appropriate.

Z said...

Very useful, Rog, I may well be losing my memory by the time I'm 96.

Oh dear, LX...

allotmentqueen said...

I'm sorry - when I read "69 will be brilliant, upside down, back to front" ..... completely the wrong thing came to mind.

Z said...

;) - I can't pretend total innocence of intent there, AQ.

Tim said...

Yeah. My old mobile number was 'OH double seven, ONE double seven, FIVE double two, EIGHT NINE!' I could sing it to you now.

Z said...

So, when you told someone the number, did you have to sing it?

Compostwoman said...

Am I unusual, then, in that I can just remember the string of numbers? No colours, songs, swans, beds etc needed to do so?

I feel quite ordinary and rather prosaic, now ....

Ivy said...

I`m confused on swans and doubling up etc!

I just write them down in various place and look them up, and then after having written them a few times, I seem to remember them.

Christopher said...

I try to keep coasting downhill, but someone keeps moving the hump. I think it might be you. We will have to see about this.

Our first telephone number was 54. I'm thinking of passing this on to Tim for him to set to music for ease of memorising.

Z said...

The Sage can too, Compostwoman and Ivy, I deeply envy that sort of brain.

I can never leave well alone, Chris. Sorry. Ours was Oulton Broad 40 (Four oh, that is, not forty). Then it became Lowestoft 5040. At that point, I left home before it became 65040 and I couldn't remember it any more.

Pat said...

Numbers drive me demented - especially the ones you are meant to never write down - just remember. Oh for the days when all one had to remember was Temple Bar 2663.
I do have a lucky number - it's 5.

Macy said...

I still haven't got used to the change of London numbers to 0207 or whatever it is now.
Luckily I don't phone there much nowadays.
For other numbers I do a similar thing to Tim. Not quite singing though...

Z said...

I can remember the numbers, Pat, but to which account the number relates? It gets to the stage where it is not possible.

You two should get together and entertain me, Macy and Tim!

Anonymous said...

I am helpless in the face of numbers. It must be written down or safed in some kind of list, I barely remember my pins. The only number I can use any time is the number of my library card, unchanged since 1982.

mig said...

I can only remember phone numbers by breaking them up into a five figure code followed by two groups of three. When those automated people read them without the appropriate breaks I don't understand them.
I must say, your method sounds much too clever for me : )

Z said...

I learned my bank account number 40 years ago. I also knew my credit card number (0747 873 173 179), until the card was stolen and I was given a new number. No idea what it is.

Mig, I see eyes glaze in incomprehension when I explain it. But if I could just remember numbers I wouldn't need a System!

Tim said...

As Christopher will be awar, the job's already been done. Brubeck (Take Five), Holst (Mars) -anything in 5/4 time really.
About that duet with Macy ...