begin again

The moves continue, slow discussions over what is best done how for whom and everyone has the better idea to finish the business quickly. 

Pick up all the ready packed items and go,  load the trailer, put them in the back of the car and move.

Upon returning the discussions are still being held.

That was yesterday, it is all unclear why it all takes so long. Perhaps there should have been a plan beforehand, then everyone could adhere to it.

Blah Blah.

It went on late yesterday, and it will start late today. Working in the dark was no fun yesterday and it will be no fun today.

The son needs the car today, warn him that the petrol tank now has more air in it than fluid. The light for reversing the vehicle does not work. But let him drive anyway.

The day is cold, it is the last day of the year.

In one hour the work will begin again.

There will be a party, to be held this evening.

It will last until next year.

putrefaction of ignorant nastiness

 It is early now and dark outside
The day will dawn before this is done.

Yesterday was late, the watch left at home
to tick away the hours till the tension left its driving spring

It is strange to wake so early and to feel so well and wakeful
Last night all was sore, desperation and desire for sleep ruled all

The artists old studio has emptied, the new one is filled
The pieces of such beauty may be moved to their new studio space

Later today, the artist is not well, the work will be done after noon.

For the last time this year there will be shopping to be done, and the Argentine will need the fittings for his bed. He may then sleep thereupon at the turning of the year. The sense of duty will not go away despite the feeling of having had abuse that will not leave the mind either.

All things possible will be done to prevent the need for an old man to sleep on the floor by his bed. There is no sense in allowing evil to join fury and to end up in a putrefaction of ignorant nastiness.

Now it is dawn on the penultimate day of this year.

no more

 it was late yeaterday and so iit is today

The day passed helping the artist transport his furniture, Firat the Argentine, now the artist.

There will be no more house moving this year.

not a time for breakfast

 Last night the post was made standing in a parking place by the car waiting for the  Argentine and his friend to finish their Spanish discussions in the warmth of the Argentines new flat. There are still a few things to be transported.

The new flat is now nearly in the state of messiness that the last flat was. And there is nothing in sight that will alleviate that.

Make a telephone call, the Argentine says that they will now go for a drink.

Nice for them.

Say goodbye and think good riddance.

Returned the trailer to its place in the house, and had a small dispute with the son over which lights to use in the hall. It was good with two large glasses of water.

Father and son then parked the car.

The son then offered a slice of Apfelstrudel that he had warmed in the oven, a ready made Apfelstrudel from Aldi.

Later go out for a drink. The two Argentines are in the pub, they attempt to make conversation like idiots.

Ignore them.

This morning there are pains in the back and the legs. It was a lot of work yesterday, and it has taken its toll. It is now almost one in the afternoon, not a time for breakfast,

Mess Misery

 it is a quarter to eleven

the argentines move took all day

the flat was a mess

hardly anyting packed

misery

cramps

 Yesterdays party was pleasant, a christmas Day party, one that occurs regularly. There were fewer people there this year than last year, the host has increased the list of those that he does not want to invite. Also, as everyone gets older, people leave earlier and the story meets its end.

At just before midnight the artist telephoned and needed help transporting his rubber plant. He is worried that it will get frost damage, as the weather forecast predicts a light frost. Help him take his plant to his new studio, and use the opportunity to inspect the studio itself. Have a chat with him until early morning, help him sort books. He has inherited the contents of a bookcase, and most of these contents are junk.

But some of the said contents are priceless and rare.

In the morning the legs suffer from severe cramps, it is hard to tell why. Make a generous breakfast and enjoy this. 

Today is boxing day, and just do not leave the house. Do work that has been shirked for some time, and edit the pictures from last nights party.

There will be a short visit to the pub tonight, and then that will be all.

Somebody

 Last night a fit of impatience caused the desertion of the local pub. The Argentine grinned like a fool at every greeting exchanged with friends and could not keep his silence commenting on the attractiveness of the women young and old. Informed him of its being Christmas eve and a time of good will for everybody and not a time of assessment and taxing. All are welcome, all can wish each other a happy Christmas and receive similar wishes in return. It is just silly. Then a youth pushed and said that he was going to claim half the table. He used the word "Hijack", an unusual expression for bad manners.

Collected the coat, put it on outside in the rain and left.

Met more friends on the way, they explained that the direction was wrong. The reply was just that things were not in order.

At home again, watched a film on the computer, and derived some pleasure from this

This morning, downstairs in the kitchen, it was almost impossible to make breakfast. Almost every burner on the stove was occupied with a dirty or a half empty pot, there were decaying vegetables in their containers everywhere, and a layer of used dishes covered everything in a layer of greasy stoneware. Cleared a small spot and made the breakfast, having an extra avocado. It is Christmas Day after all.

After breakfast, showered and dressed and proceeded to fill the dishwasher with the crockery, cutlery, pots and pans left lying about after the other's meals.

Swept the surfaces and then the floor.

There is still a mess, but it is that of other people.

It is a silly easy job, and somebody has to do it.

rain like melted ice

 It is Christmas Eve, the very special day for all children. There are no children of that age in the family any more, unless you want to count the cat. She may be getting on a bit now, but compared to her humans she is young.

Up and about and breakfast was fine today. The cold is a great discomfort, the amount of energy needed to warm even a very small space is large. Finish the small things on the computer, write a few Christmas greetings with the email system.

And rest, shower, take it easy for the pressure on the soul that is trying to deal with the personal situation in the home needs that. When a decision cannot be made it is better to rest until the situation has improved.

There is a letter to write to a woman who has her doubts about the use of a friendship, and is frightened that she is moving too close and now there are difficulties. It will all drift past again soon, but some form of reply to the letter is necessary. It is not really easy.

Leave the house and deliver the note by hand. Enclose a picture of people crossing a bridge over a waterfall. It is a short drive through the rain that feels so cold, it is like melted ice.

After parking the car walk to the bank and get a small amount of money as a christmas present for the son. He had been very undecided about what he would like, so now it is decided that a sum of money would be best.

3 would be better

 At a quarter to three in the afternoon a few of the planned things have been done, but most of such things have not been done at all. Shopping has been done, and more will have to be done now, for there were things forgotten.

People are arguing in the neighbourhood, the sounds of shouting and of screaming can be heard through the closed windows.

It is another day of no conversation, and it is strange to be completely alone in the middle of this small town. Solitary life in a flat would possibly be easier and cheaper.

The viewer markings on the ground glass screen of the cameras were modified to accommodate the digital sensor. Some of the ink smudged under the ruler and the result is less than perfect. This is sad, but it is going to have to be lived with. Not much can be done now, other than wiping everything off and restarting the whole marking process.

There was a note received, a friend expressed her distress at having spoken about her problems, and events from her life that occurred a long time ago. There is no way of knowing how to reply. Not at this time, not yet.

These are all incomplete thoughts in paragraphs of only two sentences. Three would be better.

obscuring the result in the light of the story

 Getting up this morning was difficult again, and it is nobody else's fault. A glass of wine on top of the two bad tempered glasses of beer yesterday took their toll and the damage was done. It was self inflicted.

With care and deliberation make breakfast. It is good, the egg and avocado suit each other today. It is the last of the avocados, it will be necessary to buy more next week. But that starts tomorrow with Christmas Day on Wednesday. Boxing day on Thursday and Friday is nothing special except for the Argentines move, which will destroy that day.

Today was a strange day, there was a visit to the cinema with the couple from the train, those whose company is liked and who seem to like the company of yours truly. Afterwards there is a midday meal in a small guest house in the country, this is a substantial affair. Afterwards again, at home, the night and the day roll into one and the result is a deep sleep for several hours.

The film was a production about memory and iniquity, maybe about forgiveness. It was hard to understand that the message of the film was sadly sugarcoated by a happy ending that was not probable in the light of the story.

things crept out of the woodwork

 Get up and go downstairs, and in a fit of bad humour, slam all the doors with no regard for those that might be sleeping. Make breakfast and feed the cat, who is hungry at all times.

The son came up to the fathers bedroom, the cold room at the top of the house. He complained sadly that the father had not woken him up as had been arranged. Feel sorry about this and say so. The reason for this is that the son wanted to go to the cafe around the corner. This cafe stops serving coffee at half past eleven, so there was little time to get dressed and to go on. 

Breakfast had already been made, that was fine and all was well. But the promise to go out and   to have a cup of coffee with the son had been misplaced

But this was not so bad after all, for both hurriedly dressed arrived at the small café and were able to have their coffee and a croissant and a piece of cake.

Then walk on to where the son had parked the car and take it back to one of the local parking spots. There is only one free, that is lucky. Anything else would have involved a long search. The son had left the car in good condition, there was no mess inside. He had spent the previous evening transporting the remains of a sofa from a charity organisations rooms to the waste depot. The sofa was old and had fallen apart.

Spend the rest of the day at home, sad at all the difficulties that crept out of the woodwork during the last two years. 

Having retired from work it is impossible to deal with the things at home.

In the early afternoon visit the gallery and have a cup of coffee.

twelfth hour

Before the alarm sounds this morning got up and went downstairs, made a breakfast, returned upstairs and ate it.

The alarm sounded, read for a while and put the day clothes on and made the bed. Then went out to the car and made a telephone call to wake up the Argentine. Today is the day that he is to go to the hospital, it is a promise to bring him there. He answers, and he is not very awake, by the sound of things. Take the car and park it opposite to his residence and wait. Half an hour after the first phone call repeat the procedure, he says that he will be out in a second.

Later, drive down the motorway to Munich, There is less traffic than expected, it is a quiet and grey day. The clinic that he is to go to was the place of work thirty years ago. It is strange to arrive there and to find that the buildings are all much the same, really, not much has changed. Even the people look the same, all in their white coats and aloof hurry. The Argentine waits, he looks worried, for the diagnosis is an unpleasant one.

Take a walk around the Occam strasse in Schwabing. All of the night places are closed, there is one café open. The waiter is friendly and helpful, sit down and order a cup of coffee and a croissant. The coffee arrives soon, the croissant never does. This is sad, but never mind. The coffee is good, but it is not cheap at all. Leave after a short while and return to the car, for the 'phone was still in there left on the mounting system on the dashboard. Pay an extra two Euros for another parking period and return to the clinic to see how things are progressing.

The Argentine is waiting for his consultation with the doctor. He has left all the other processes behind him.

Finally, leave with him and return to Landshut. On the way, have a midday meal at an Indian restaurant in Kronwinkl. They are not a bad restaurant.

Afterwards, go to the artists studio and help move a few of the things there. Then return home after advising the son on how to pack things into the back of the car.

That done, go home and have a rest.

And now it is a quarter to six, the twelfth hour since the alarm did not ring this morning.

It may survive till next spring.

It was a strange night, there was no sleep possible until four in the morning. The young woman who had happily conversed in the pub ended the evening by giving this complete stranger a hug and saying that she likes him, an entirely unexpected gift. This was strange. It was unusual and because of this will not be put out of mind. Nowadays everybody hugs everybody else, and people who are not used to this become disorientated.

Breakfast is missed, it is just too late, and there is no point in having a repeat of yesterdays situation where a married couple stand beside each other acting like ignoramuses. Something will have to be done. Something will have to be done to avoid madness.

The book by Lowry Pressley is promising, there will be time to read it tonight.

Go to the artist's studio, to check whether or not it had been left open the night before. There was an elderly couple there playing the flute and a mouth organ. They were practising Christmas songs. Spoke to them for a few minutes, then left.

Go to the tiny Thai restaurant, and have a bowl of soup. The soup is not as good as it usually is, they seem to be running out of ingredients. It is the same price as usual though..

Return home, and on the way drop into the gallery. They have a most beautiful exhibition of works by Sean Scully, all on paper. This is very pleasant.

Return home, and feed the cat.

In the later evening the son comes in with a bat that was caught by the cat. The tiny animal is still hibernating, it was an easy catch. Tell him to return it to the attic, and let it go back to sleep.

It may survive till next spring.

conflict

The alarm plays a tinkly melody, this will have to be changed sometime. A classical alarm clock would be better. Bad, loud and none of this tasteless twittering-

Play Wordle to calm down.

The humour is not good. Got for a shower in the morning and deliberately waste time knowing full well that others want to use the bathyroom. There is only one other, and now there is a guilty feeling for doing unto others as they do unto you. Bathyroom because you need a Bathyscaphe to explore the thing after people have showered excessively. No, that is vicious too.

Now leave all this geological nonsense and proceed on up to the artists place in the hamlet near the village near the town. The welcome is warm and friendly, there is no idea as to what is going on or why. The whole half of the day since breakfast is spent with small talk. It is hard to keep the big mouth shut.

Back home, feed the cat. It is dark already. Make a slice of toasted bread, then go ahead and eat it.

The cat vomits in the hall. Use paper kitchen towels to clear up the mess, this is a thing that possible none of the rest of the family will do. Perhaps they will wait for the thing to dry first it the hope of being able to remove it in one piece.

Write in the blog in order to calm down.

There are things to be done this evening, and they conflict.

another hour

 This morning was cold and the idea of waking up and doing something suddenly did not seem  so great any more. It was really very much more comfortable to just remain in bed and to stay quiet. 

At seven in the morning there was the sound of the son hurrying off to the train, the son is a specialist for undertaking activities at the last possible moment.

Sometimes even a bit later.

Make breakfast at a time that is simply to late for breakfast, the wife comes in to the kitchen and starts to demonstratively make sandwiches for her work break. Work away there side by side, and speak not at all. This behaviour is probably uncommon and unusual. But it is experienced as threatening, and that is probably the way that it is meant.

Go to the supermarket and buy ten tins of cat food, on the way back from the supermarket get some money from the bank, and pass by the haberdashery and buy some felt cloth. It will do 

Later, wait for the postman to bring the book that was ordered three months ago. There is a postcard from the collector, which is very pleasant, but the postcard says that it will most likely be the coming year before a meeting can be arranged. Go downstairs to check for the post again and find the package containing the book propped up on top of the letter box

Later, clear up the dishes, fill and start the dishwasher and sweep the kitchen

At half past four in the afternoon go to the barbers and have the hair cut there by the usual barber. She will stop working in the new year, and she is already excited at the prospect of never having to work again. She is content at the idea

Return home and see that the dishwasher is still active. It will take another hour at least.

journey

 The alarm works well, and that is all that functions as expected. The old body has got used to retirement from the rigours of early rising to go to work and is simply not prepared to get up to go for a trivial visit to friend in Munich.

It is of no matter. Get up and go anyway, shower, dress and drink hot coffee until ten minutes before the leaving time of the bus.

Then rush downstairs, take the bus to the railway station, and sit in the train until Munich. The train is fast, and it is easier to use the train than to drive by car. Also, due to the subvention by the German government, it is cheaper. All train fares cost the same for one month. A flat rate for local travel.

Leave Munich railway station and walk through the streets of Munich to the Maxvorstadt, passing the university buildings and the huge Pinakothek public art galleries. Also pass the Karolinenplatz with its monolith in the centre of the roundabout. In no time at all reach the junction of the Shellingstraße and Barerstrasse where the Shellingsalon is to be found. It is a restaurant and pool hall, and has a long tradition. Ask the waitress whether or not the friend is there and she says that he is not yet there. He is well known in the place.

Watch the pool players coax the coloured balls into the various pockets. Wonder why the white ball finds a pocket so often, even when that is not the object of the game.

The friend arrives, he has arrived to reminisce. Have a plate of Wurstl and potato salad each, and then take a walk in the nearby Nordfriedhof, an old graveyard which has been disused since the forties of the last century. It is used as a park now, many of the gravestones have been removed, many of the graves have been given up.

On the way back to the friends car there is a box of records at the roadside with a note saying that they are all to be given away. At the direction of the friend pick up the whole box. It is unclear what he wants to do with all the old romantic singles, but he wants to take them home and maybe play them. He is too infirm to  bend over and take up the box himself.

Say goodbye, and walk to the centre of Munich. There is the Leica store, a brightly lit store with discreet displays of wildly espensive cameras. There is also a gallery.

Admire the very beautiful pictures on display there.

Think of the pictures on the way home.

Due to the low cost of the tickets, the train to Landshut is full.

Still, it is a pleasant journey.

an occasional petting

Last night ended this morning again, it was a pleasant evening and a pleasant night. It was not a long sleep, but tiredness remained.

It was an artistic party in a country town, their celebrations alcoholic and the music jazz. Saxophone, bass and rhythm with an occasional flute and some shy song. Later at night a drummer turned up thankfully without his drum kit and yet nobody could stop him from singing and everyone listened politely. There were many pictures taken on the small black and white camera.

There was one pretty young woman there with dark hair and a long nose. She was lovely to look at. She is a student of psychology.

The night wore on and the day is spent worn out.

The son returned from his excursion to the nearby Moosburg, and father and son went out together to have a cup of coffee in a bakery shop that was open on Sunday. It was pleasant but not special.

The day was spent  as a blur without much detail. There was a pleasant invitation for the coming Wednesday for a breakfast at a nearby house in Landshut. This is nice. It was an invitation from the artist couple and a friend of theirs. This will mean getting up early on Wednesday and taking a long walk to get to the venue.

Then there was a phone call, somebody had forgotten their keys to the house in which the party had en last night. It was not far, so get up and go down the street to the house and let the waiting person in.

Then return and write this, the poor lonely cat has taken the opportunity to come upstairs to sit on the warm knees of the one writing on the computer and to receive an occasional petting.

boring, pleasant

 Awake to the cold of the early morning, the badly insulated room is icy and the electric heater makes no great difference. All of this is not going to work well, it is not even clear whether or not this winter can be spent up here. Get up to go downstairs and to make the usual breakfast. The cold is not so bad after the food, but the feeling of well-being does not last. Go downstairs and enjoy a shower, this warms up the old body, it feels good.

Upstairs again get dressed, and go out and walk down to the shop in the mall to buy things that are in short supply. It is no more than eggs and bread and cheese.

Upon returning home after walking through the cold streets with all the wrapped up people find that a small parcel has been delivered. Open it and find that it is filled with homemade cookies, this is a Christmas present from the niece. She has written a small card and says thank you for the nice photo's of her wedding last September. Now that is very kind isn't it?

The wife comes up the stairs with a large parcel containing a photographic lampshade, a so-called soft box. The wife is in her usual non speaking mode, she grunts in reply to the offered verbal thanks.Take the item upstairs and leave it on the couch.

Go out and go to the meeting in the cafe

That is boring today.

There is an invitation to a christmas dinner.

That is pleasant.

washes away the discomfort

 Last night there was another evening in the artists studio, He is still perfecting his wooden relief. This sculpture is based on the photograph of young woman who was murdered in Ausschwitz during the second world war in the middle of the last century. 

A bottle of wine was consumed, and methods for safely storing the small wooden sculptures were discussed.

The artist spent some time looking for the picture that he used as a source for his work. It was lying in plain sight on the table with a handwritten note on top of it which was in a slightly smaller format. 

This morning was difficult, and it was easy to apportion the blame for the situation. Down in the kitchen the wife refused to talk to her husband and attempted to act as if he was not there. Breakfast prepared, repair upstairs. Meanwhile, she has gone to work, gone to follow some occupation about which she will not speak. Take a shower, the warm water washes away the discomfort of the morning.

The Argentine is a matter of concern, his cancer diagnosis is awkward to deal with, he is here in a town where he has few friends, there is no idea as to how to deal with this. There is no wish to leave him to loneliness but being the only friend nearby is not easy either.

Healthwise

This morning was cold, the car was not content with being started and took a while before it started to run smoothly. Drove all the way to Garching slowly, to both save petrol and because of the persistent ice warnings on the cars information panel. At the university met with a few old colleagues and the man who ran the business. These were not all pleasant chance encounters.

Finally found the man in charge of the machine shop. He showed the parts which worked perfectly and was given his bottle of drink as a small thank you for having done the favour.

The camera should work well now and cause no problems any more.

Upon leaving meet up with another old colleague and chat for a while. Then go to the café, have a single cup of coffee and drive home again.

At home start to feel unwell and commence to freeze. This is strange, for it is not all that cold. Lie down, and take a rest.

The sound of a message on the smartphone ends the rest, and there is a message from the Argentine. The mole that they removed from his head turns out to be a form of malignant skin cancer. 

Arrange to meet him in the café, and just listen. There is little to be said. It is hard to imagine what he is going through, but there is no room for silly comments. It is a serious matter. Listen for a while, until the Syrian waiters decide that they do not want anyone to be in the place any more. They start throwing out the customers that are still contemplating their empty cups or finishing off their newspapers. These waiters have no concept of service, they are rough rude and arrogant. Oh well, not everybody can expect perfection all the time.

Go home, it is time to take a rest. The cold is in the bones again, things are not in order, healthwise.

why not

 This morning was spent putting small things in order and reading the news. Leave the house in the late morning and go to get some felt and some light cloth. The felt is for the artists figurines and the cloth is to cover the shirts that have been hung on a rail outside the wardrobe. The cloth is to prevent the shirts all getting dusty Some of the shirts will have to wait until summer before they are worn again.

At midday go to the small café for a cup of coffee and a roll. Whilst there recieve a telephone call from the workshop where the camera parts are being repaired. The master say that the item is done and ready to be collected.

That is good news. Go to the fancy liquor store and buy two bottles of Schnapps, that is a pleasant way of saying thank you for good service.

At home again, collect the tools needed for measuring and cutting the felt. Then spend the next four hours  making a felt inlay for the figurines. It is a lot more work than imagined.

But now, at the end of the day, be satisfied with the work and imagine that it would be pleasant to have a glass of beer in the pub.

why not.

strange atmosphere

 The depressions have it again. All morning was spent trying hard to find motivation to do anything, and there it is- nothing was found. There is plenty of pain and feeling unwell, there is fear of future things that may never occur. The washing is in the machine, now that the wife's washing has been taken out of the stainless steel basket and place into a plastic basket . She always leaves her washing in the machine for days.

Do a bit of shopping, and now spend time in the café in the first floor of the one big shopping mall. Their coffee is not good, the place has a strange atmosphere too.

inheritance is the last word

 The son came upstairs to say his goodbyes in the morning. Wished him well until Thursday, then he will be back again, perhaps this will be the end of lectures until Christmas and the New Year. It is hard to predict what the university people will arrange, it is hard to know what the man has planned.

Today the whole day was spent in illness, it was some kind of cold. Perhaps living in an unheated room does not help at all.  Breakfast was somehow insipid, even though it was the same as every day. In the afternoon paid a short visit to the café, but the things there did not taste good either. The Argentine turned up, it took a while for him to notice his friend huddled in one of the chairs drinking the rapidly cooling coffee. We had a conversation about things, and then, in the face of increasingly feeling unwell, walked back home. At home had a hot shower and went to lie down on the bed, wrapped up, and then slept. Awoke again at six in the evening and feel a lot better.

That is good.

Listen to the sounds of the wife walking around in the house.

Wonder how long this situation will continue for, it is becoming hard to bear.

It will be strange to have to leave the house that was paid for out of a personal inheritance.

a great increase in comfort

 Get up and make breakfast. Breakfast was great, even though it was much the same as all the other days. There is residual anger at the state of the sliding camera back delivered yesterday, The machine did not appear to work at all. But far worse, the legs started to feel the cold, they just froze. As a remedy, returned to bed, covering the legs with an extra blanket. Gradually, the situation improved. And upon waking again, all is well.

Start to study the sliding back again. It is stiff, and moves badly. Establish the exact places where it jams. Examine the runners, and note that they are covered in sticky residue. Clean this off with alcohol and an absorbent rag. Try it again, the movement is better, but not perfect. 

Set up the camera and attach the slide to the camera. It fits perfectly, at least that is something. But the movement is still not satisfactory.

Go downstairs and chat about things with the son, things that are quite disconnected from sliding backs and similar problems. He is well, his use of the car early this morning worked out well too. The cat is sitting on the remains of a cardboard box and watching him work on his computer.

Upstairs again, find some felt with which to make a safety construction for the small figures that are waiting for something of that kind in the artist's studio across the road.

There is a small container of watch oil in the drawer with the felt, decide to try this on the recalcitrant sliding back. This works wonders, and the back starts to work smoothly as the minute quantities of oil coat the moving parts.

The back is now working as it should, it is a considerable saving and will hopefully be a great increase in comfort in the operation of the small field camera.

disgruntled feline

 The project making pictures of the tiny wooden sculptures is progressing, the work is difficult and could use more precision on the side of the equipment than the equipment was built for. It is very good equipment, but it is always possible to go one better at immense cost.

Awoke early today, something in the sleep was broken, but things seem to be all right now, just before nine in the morning. It is a bright cloudy day outside, the light of the sun forcing its yellowish way through the pale grey clouds. There will be time to go to the shops to get the groceries necessary for breakfast. It will be pleasant to take a walk through the town.

The wife is still in her bed, that is downstairs beside the kitchen. Her snores could be heard through the open door.

For some reason, the cat is disgruntled.

***

It is later now, it is a quarter to eleven, and the sun has hidden behind the grey of the sky. The shopping has been done, there was little enough on the list. The main thing was bread, and the other things acquired were staples to fill the bag and to make the trip feel worth while.

There was the sound of a router working on some piece of wood from a building that is being renovated. It is a sound like an amplified saxophone. But it never changes its frequency, as any self-respecting saxophone player would.

The cat has gone off somewhere, there is no way at all to tell its state of mind.

a good day for indoor work

 Last night, after a short rest in the studio, just went home and went straight to the welcome bed. Slept like a stone until this morning early, and then again until ten in the morning.

There is guilt attached to these late and long sleeping bouts, the old work ethic has to be brought back. The uncomfortable but productive early rising and working will not return on its own. For the own personal well being it will have to be ordered back.

It is now eleven in the morning, all the chores have been done. The bedroom will need to be vacuum cleaned and the house steps washed down. This are things that need to be down every few weeks. There is no point in being overly clean. Though it would be nice to have somebody about who could do this work.

Today there will be time spent in the studio again and hopefully the first phase of the work on the figurines will be completed today.

It is a grey day, the sky is an almost uniform sheet of grey. It is a good day for indoor work

lie down for a few minutes

 It is night again, and work has just finished. It is difficult and requires concentration. It is not easy to take pictures of the small figures. And taking pictures of each one three times, one after the other in different poses, is tiring. The first phase of the job will be finished tomorrow. There is not much to be done now, it is not possible to work any more.

There was an opening of an exhibition in the foyer of the town hall today. It consisted of pictures done by a Chinese artist living in Munich. Most of her pictures were round about religious themes, and were just too meaningful to be of any great interest. There were two quite beautiful paintings of fields in Autumn, and the picture of the back garden of a house. These pictures were pleasant and well done. All of the woman's pictures were competently done. Just the content of many of them was difficult.

Return to the artist's studio after hearing that there would be no concert tonight.

Try to work and to finish the job, but there is just no concentration there any more.

Lie down for a few minutes before going home.

eight fifteen in the evening

Now it is later in the day. it is twenty past eight and it is time to write  todays post before something happens that lets it be forgotten. The day started early, it started in a civilised way with breakfast and feeding the cat and a shower. This was all very pleasant. It was all nice and relaxed. 

Went to the shops and bought a soft paintbrush and a sheet of cardboard. This was equipment necessary for the continued work on the wooden miniatures It is pleasant working in the artist's studio, it is heated and very peaceful. Progress is slow, after yesterdays decision to start work again. Perhaps it is just the way things are, it is a tricky job and there is no reason for it to go easily.

Take a break and go to the Thai place. The meals there are not so incredibly filling but they are tasty. The service is very friendly, which is pleasant and professional. Have a cup of coffee in the coffee shop belonging to a coffee importer. They sell all kinds of things there as well, and find out after ordering a cake that they are most expensive. Oh well, that is too bad.

Continue the work in the artists studio, it is steady work, but it is slow. Carefully remove the dust from the figurines, they are so tiny that the dust is really visible upon the photos.

And now it is half past eight in the evening. Perhaps there will be time to go out and to have a glass of beer and a bowl of soup. And then to return and to take a few more pictures, to try and get the job finished.

Things are good when they are completed.

Tomorrows post will be written later today.

Awoke early and then allowed the whole body just to fall back to sleep again. The general feeling of depression will not let go now, not today. Last evening was strange, there was no knowing where things would end. Then they just petered out and stopped. That was last night, and tomorrow will be no better. It is six minutes past midnight.

The day was marked by the failure of the pictures to work as expected. There will be nothing for itbut to try again tomorrow. Perhaps things will be better then.

The artist's studio is quiet, and probably the only sensible thing to do now is to just go home. 

The photos of the small sculptures are simply very difficult to do.

Tomorrows post will be written later today.

it must be age

Got up early and dressed quickly, enjoying only a light breakfast. Went out in the frosty dark and walked to the car which was parked in Neustadt, opposite to the local police station. The car started with no problem.

Drove the car to the university, the frost warning indicator was on, people were driving slowly. It was foggy too.

Arrive in Garching, it is surprising how well the place is remembered. There are more buildings, and once the people talk realise that there are not any more people there to run them. The master mechanic looks at the problem and says that they will do it in the new year, after Christmas. Do not show the disappointment,  it is good that they will attend to the matter.

Spend some time chatting to the old colleagues, then return to Landshut.

Examine the old attachment, and oil it a bit to make it work more smoothly. It will have to do for the time being until  the new part is ready. Then it will be possible to proceed with the new adapter.

There is a hope that they will finish it early.

Do some shopping.

Then lie down for a few minutes, and fall asleep.

Now it is thirty seven minutes past seven in the evening, twelve hours after arriving in Garching this morning. Why is the body so tired? It must be age.

café sunday

The day started with a midnight session at the artist' studio, he wanted some company whilst working on a piece that he has been working on for years now. Meet him at the pub, all the scholars from his classes at he local school gather around him. Then we go on to his studio, and he works at his piece. Stay there for an hour, then go home to go to bed. Instead of going to bed, finish watching a program on the computer, a matter of interest, all to do with current German politics. There was a stupid use of terminology, and a plan that the liberal party had to damage the government coalition came to light. It was the coalition to which it had been party. 

Awake and it was nine this morning. Rise slowly, and take two headache pills and go downstairs to make breakfast. There is a new variation, that is to have avocados on toast. This may be decadent, but it is tasty.

Upstairs, start to check the camera for the job  at four o'clock this evening.

Then the son comes and asks if it is possible to go to the café at two.

And that is what will be done now.

The performance of the big band took place on a stage set up in the christmas market. It was cold, but there were hundreds there wandering around the market with their children. They were eating sausages and drinking mulled wine. The band played many Christmas hits, but because the stage and it's surrounding wooden walls and roof swallowed sound only part of the band could be heard. That was  too bad.

Took pictures for the hour, and then left.

Went to a café afterwards and had a hot chocolate which returned the body temperatures to their comfort zone