An oasis
A much better night's sleep, and a welcome change of pace with two fun briefs to work on from mes amis in Paris. A quick chat with Val by phone. It was oddly nice to hear her -- something normalising about working with her again, after a bit of a break. One of briefs even required me to be funny, a bit of a first for me in animal health. This took up much of the day, interspersed with two short walks around Blaker's Park to think. Both times raindrops fell on me, although not enough to qualify as rain. After the wettest winter we are now by June 3rd, on the cusp of a drought. Although Lorraine said there were puddles in Bolney.
Spoke to Mum who was setting up a FaceTime call with her old pal Mark Lewis.
Finished Carrying the Fire. Fascinating book, and it makes me want to watch the Documentary Film Apollo 11, which was released last year and Toby said was amazing. I have some trailers on YouTube, it looks wonderful. The world you glimpse in the book, from an astronaut's perspective, seems very different. Michael Collins talks of flying across the dark side of the moon, while Aldrin and Armstrong and the earth were on the other side. He said something to the effect that it was three billion (as it was in those days, sigh) plus two, while on his side it was one plus the unknown. I am in awe of the Apollo programme. Everything was maths driven, it was all numbers and courage, and it made us see our own world differently, as a fragile oasis in space.
Jenny's fish and chip shop reopened. As Lorraine was on a zoom call of her governors, and Beth was driving off to Asda to collect some shopping, and we had not had fish and chips for months I went to score some. Mysteriously, perhaps because I have been an occasional regular for five years or so, the owner always charges me less than the listed price. He has put his prices up slightly, and asked me the full new price of £25 for the three meals. Having raided my money box (he does not take cards) could only produce £22, and said I would pop home to get the rest. But he insisted that I take everything for £20, saying it was because I had supplied him with pound coins. I don't know why he is always so generous to me, but it is very nice.
Once Lorraine finished her call, we watched a few episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine (we are near the end of this binge now) and made off to bed early.
Spoke to Mum who was setting up a FaceTime call with her old pal Mark Lewis.
Finished Carrying the Fire. Fascinating book, and it makes me want to watch the Documentary Film Apollo 11, which was released last year and Toby said was amazing. I have some trailers on YouTube, it looks wonderful. The world you glimpse in the book, from an astronaut's perspective, seems very different. Michael Collins talks of flying across the dark side of the moon, while Aldrin and Armstrong and the earth were on the other side. He said something to the effect that it was three billion (as it was in those days, sigh) plus two, while on his side it was one plus the unknown. I am in awe of the Apollo programme. Everything was maths driven, it was all numbers and courage, and it made us see our own world differently, as a fragile oasis in space.
Jenny's fish and chip shop reopened. As Lorraine was on a zoom call of her governors, and Beth was driving off to Asda to collect some shopping, and we had not had fish and chips for months I went to score some. Mysteriously, perhaps because I have been an occasional regular for five years or so, the owner always charges me less than the listed price. He has put his prices up slightly, and asked me the full new price of £25 for the three meals. Having raided my money box (he does not take cards) could only produce £22, and said I would pop home to get the rest. But he insisted that I take everything for £20, saying it was because I had supplied him with pound coins. I don't know why he is always so generous to me, but it is very nice.
Once Lorraine finished her call, we watched a few episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine (we are near the end of this binge now) and made off to bed early.
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