You
might have noticed I've finally got 'round to updating the
blogroll, something I've been meaning to do for a long time now. I
couldn't believe how long dormant many of the blogs were, and there
were quite a few that had disappeared altogether or the url had
lapsed, or been hijacked. I couldn't bring myself to delete some of
favourite blogs from the past, so they are still listed in a separate
section in a sort of homage, and also in the most probably forlorn
hope that they may reactivate in the future. Actually that hope is
possibly not so far fetched in these strange times we are living in
as I notice a few of the blogs now featured in the active list were
dormant until very recently.
In
recent years it seems music blogs have become an endangered species,
with the rise of streaming sites, smartphones, Instagram, Twitter and
the like all contributing to their demise I think. However, my
blogroll overhaul has left me heartened by how many are still going
strong. Even if, I suspect, the traffic to them is much reduced.
The
things we do in this lockdown state. My bookmarks have generally had
a throroughly good spring clean. Revisiting all these links (now, why
did I bookmark this in the first place?) has made me very nostalgic.
I read the other day that Stanley Gibbons, the stamp people, have
noticed a definite uptick in interest and sales on their site. Stamp
collecting – remember that? I certainly do, and I know exactly
where my stamp albums are! On the list for activities next week!
My
lockdown state is in fact a full lockdown at the moment as I have to
report that Mrs Darce has symptoms of this horrible virus. No cough
or shortness of breath, but general flu symptoms in spades, and 11
days and counting now. At least her temperature only lasted a few
days. Also, in the last three days I haven't been feeling top notch
either. One trouble with all this is that in the end you don't know
whether you have/have had the dreaded thing or not. I have been daily
reporting our state of health for about a month now on the Zoe app.
As a result of this I was offered a COVID-19 test yesterday,
effectively as a research volunteer. I duly went through the
application steps only to be told there were no home tests available
and the nearest drive through testing station was over 60 miles away.
Check back tomorrow it said. So I have today and there are no tests
of any description available today apparently. Ho hum.
Anyway,
I find that immersing myself in various activities (like writing this
post for example) keeps my mind off my, admittedly very mild,
feelings of “not being quite right” and as a result I feel
better. One such activity a couple of days ago was helping our
daughter build a proper office style desk for her home working. Her
makeshift use my parents old bureau was not ideal. So we, mainly my
daughter I have to say, built an ergonomically friendly desk.
Suitable flatpacks would have taken too long to deliver. So we did
some proper construction. Measured and cut the wood (we had some in
the garage), took delivery of some sturdy metal legs, glued and
screwed the whole thing together, and gave it two coats of varnish. I
was chief jigsaw wielder, our daughter essentially did the rest. Very
satisifying.
To
encourage the glue to take when we were building this desk we
utilised four cases full of 12” singles (they are heavy, and to
think I used to cart these around regularly back in my DJing days).
It was funny, when I suggested we use these cases my daughter
imeediately ran up to the spare room to get them. Where are they? she shouted. Not in there, I replied, those particular cases are in
my wardrobe in the bedroom. Yes, there is vinyl everywhere.
This event has reminded me I have never catalogued my 12”
singles collection on 45cat (45worlds to be precise), so that
activity commenced last night!
My
nostalgic state, and these cases of 12” singles, also reminded me
of a couple of blog subject titles I used to use with some
regularity. I have used both of them on this post, “Parish Notices”
was last seen in 2015, and “Tapping My Feet” in 2013; how time
flies. This leads me to the music for the day.
For
all the clubbers everywhere who can only dance around their own
kitchen table at the moment, here, from case 1: A-E of my most
treasured twelves, is Dee Dee Bridgewater.
The
A side is a sweet thing too:
2 comments:
I’m impressed by the desk Darcy, well done to the both of you.
I hope you and Mrs Darcy are back to full fitness soon.
Take care
Hope you both get wellsoon
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