Busifer reads in 2020, too

So, new year! I expect to be back intermittently: I don't dare promise anything more, right now, because life at the moment is quite an energy-drainer. I keep looking for a new job, and has to do a lot of real life networking, and keeping in touch with my old team (we all were laid off) supporting each other. It's a mental roller-coaster, if nothing else.

I realise that I effectively dropped all my serious reading when life turned this way, and instead started watching TV-series, which I almost never do under normal conditions, and so I've not had much to post about (I did enjoy especially Broadchurch immensely, though, and it had been in my queue for several years, so there's that at least). Tried to pick everything up during Yule break, but never managed to (see Broadchurch binge, lol). But, I'm starting the new year with a promise to myself to get back on track.

Also, I don't expect to pick up on EVERYTHING that has gone on in the pub since my last attempt at normalcy ;-)

No summary of last year. I read more in 2019 than in 2018, but still a lot less than I had wanted to. Mainly due to the last quarter being interrupted by, well, you know, as described above.

I have missed you all.

>1 Busifer: I’m happy to see you starting a thread for 2020, and I wish you success on the job search! Although I watch little to no TV under normal circumstances, I too tend to turn to it in times of stress. It distracts my mind more effectively and gives it a bit of a break.

>1 Busifer: Glad to see you back, and I hope your life situation picks up for you.

Great to see your new thread for 2020. I will be glad to see your posts even if they have no mention of reading.

I hope 2020 brings many good things for you on all fronts. I am glad you are catching up on some planned viewing.

>2 YouKneeK: Thank you, and I think that's the way TV work for me: distraction. Reading tends to engage my brain more, which I normally want, but at the moment I need my energy and concentration focused on the task at hand.

(TBH the most stressful thing right now is that I have a lot of decisions to make, and some of them are rather on chance: can I afford to wait for "the perfect job", turning down job offers that looks very good but maybe aren't what I perceive my "next step" to be, in hope of a better one turning up? What if that one turned out to be my best bet? Oh well. Time will tell.)

>3 haydninvienna:, >4 pgmcc: Thank you, both.

I hope your job situation works out to your liking and your advantage.

I do the same with TV and loved Broadchurch, too. Haven't watched more than the first season, but it was fab.

Your thoughts are always interesting, even when not about books. Good luck with your career decisions, and remember you have friends here waiting, for when you are able to return.

Always glad to see you here. May you have wisdom and courage in choosing your path.

>7 Bookmarque: Thanks. The good - or bad! - thing with with streaming services and not having to show up at work on the morning is that I just HAD to watch all three seasons. In one go.
They are quite different from each other, but still a treat.

>8 -pilgrim-: Thank you; and as are yours.

Although I do hate having to make career decisions - I'm not a career type of person - in a strange way it feels good to have been forced to finally making one (or two), even when it's stressful. I would had rotted to death slowly had I stayed were I was. But Sweden is a hard place for finding a new job, with employers loathe to make a decision to hire even though all positions are on open terms for the first 6 months: both employer and employee can terminate whenever, within those 6 months, no strings attached, and yet everyone treats the process as it is for life.
Hiring processes can draw out for months and months. Which means one must have a lot of things going on simultaneously, and keep looking for other positions even while interviewing for three or more already.
Which is taxing.

Even if I got a decent severance package.

>9 MrsLee: Thank you.

I'm glad I'm out of the career game. I remember the search being tough and draining. Recently a couple of friends of ours had a baby and moved to a VERY expensive house/neighborhood/town. All well and good, but now his employer thinks they pay him too much and are going to cut his salary. As far as we know they're not struggling cash-wise or anything, nor are they laying off, so it's strange. He's interviewing other places, but it's extra stress they didn't need. Her job is secure, but she wants an individual contributor role since she has to "manage" old white men who think a 30-something woman has 0 value.

>12 Bookmarque: I simultaneously look forward to and fear that day... As long as my job complies with certain criteria I've established during the past 3 months I'll be happy to go on working as long as I'm able to. If not - just show me the money, and I'll be happy to leave the job market to the younger generations ;-)

"...she has to "manage" old white men who think a 30-something woman has 0 value."
29 years in an industry dominated by (old) white men having high thoughts of themselves makes me feel for her. One of the best things that happened to me was my hair turning grey and getting into my 40's. My perceived value shot through the roof.

Welcome back. Job hunting is a royal pain. Good luck with the search. We'll be here when you can stop by :)

Happy new year! It's good to see you back again. I wish you luck with the job search, it is draining at the best of times.

Holding thumbs for you. Job hunting is horrible and seems to be a full week's work on it's own. Hope you find some time to be sufficiently switched off to enjoy reading.

Good luck with the job hunt. Know we're all standing behind you, just behind your left shoulder.

Strength to you, and another vote for all the good wishes above.

Good wishes for the new year, the reading and the job hunting - may all go smoothly and successfully for you.

Good luck on the job front, Busifer. And don't wait around til you read a book, come hang out anyway!

Best of luck with all of it. Don't let it wear you to a frazzle. We're always in here if you need to vent.

Thank you, all of you!

I have some hopes, but don't want to jinx it. Also, I'm spending time trying to prepare for a certification. Which I find to be both boring and frustrating, as I know how things would (should) work (in a Swedish corporate context) but has to learn what the "correct" responses are supposed to be, to pass.

Anyway, I have fetched my pre-ordered copy of the latest Foreigner novel from the SF bookshop, so now the previously abandoned books are even more abandoned (even if at least one is VERY good), because now I will read Resurgence, before anything else :-)

I did finishing listening to Lock In sometime before Yule. I found it kind of OK. Interesting concept, but I felt the story to be a bit forced.

And, finished Resurgence earlier today. One of the better Foreigner books, I think. There was a while when each new book while being a nice return-to-universe felt... unfocused. Lots of things happening, lots of running around and things exploding, and a lot of internal monologue, but the story itself felt a bit vague, like it was feeling its way through darkness.
This latest instalment is tight, the story moves forward at a good pace. The Dowager is in good form but is definitely ageing, Cajieri has a good development arc, Bren is Bren, we get to see more of the continent, and the plot involves railways... yay!
Also, I'm intrigued to know how the plot will evolve, which I feel is key to a long-running series if it is to survive.
So, all in all happy.

I think I'll pick up one of my abandoned reads from this fall next.

I was just getting back into things, having picked A memory called Empire back up and enjoying it immensely, when my dad got diagnosed with terminal cancer, just over a week ago. As you can imagine my focus has been on supporting my mum (and my dad) through some of this.
Initial tumour is located to a kidney, but it has spread to the liver, a lung, and blocks part of the cardiovascular system, too. He's currently (back) home (after a short hospital stay), waiting for treatment with inhibitor drugs to start. He has become markedly worse in just a week but is not in pain (yet), and the doctors has been great, this far.

I'm slowly reemerging to find a balance in this new state of things, and it might take a while for things to get back to "normal". Whatever that is.

>24 Busifer:
I am very sorry to hear that news. I will be thinking of you and your family.

>24 Busifer: So sorry. Best wishes to you all.

>24 Busifer: Seconding what Richard says in #26.

>24 Busifer: I am very sorry to hear your news. I know false hope can be a dangerous thing, but I would like to say that cancer's response to treatment can be very varied indeed. I have had both encouraging anecdotes emerge from my family's history, as well as tragic ones.

Perhaps the most pertinent thing that I can say is this: six months ago, I was told that I had tumours in 3 sites and "almost certainly less than a year" to live. Halfway through that "maximum" timespan, the pain levels resulting from the cancer (as opposed to the treatment, and its interaction with pre-existing conditions) are quite bearable, and my functionality (when not weakened by the chemo) has not significantly deteriorated.

My deterioration from April to July - the period before I received treatment was extremely rapid. Now it is not

Estimates of time - or of what that time will be like - are chimeras. The outcome may be better than predicted; it may not.

The important thing is that he has the support of a loving family around him.

Doctors with a supportive plan of action are a great plus.

Hang in there; the shock of such news does leave you feeling for a while, but the important thing is to make the most of however much time you have left together.

Oh B, I'm so sorry to hear this. With a set of aging parents, myself, I know a little of what you're going through. Focus on quality of life. Ask what's important to him and do what you can to make it possible. I hope you find strength.

I am so sorry. Sending love to you all. May you have the love and support of family and friends as you tread this dark path.

Thank you, all. It truly means a lot to me, even when I dan't find the energy to visit the pub.

>24 Busifer: So sorry to hear about your dad, Busifer. Sending your family good thoughts.

Hugs to you, Pella. Holding you and your family in my heart.

Oh Busifer, I am so very sorry. I'll hold my thumbs that thing go as well as they possibly can, and that he stays pain free.

I'm so sorry to hear this :(

Very sorry to hear this. Hugs, and I'll be holding my thumbs for your father and all your family.

>24 Busifer: So sad to hear this news. My thoughts go out to you and yours at such a difficult time.

Thank you, all! A heartfelt, huge, thank you.

In the middle of this I'm also wrestling the contractual terms of what will hopefully become my new job, i.e. negotiating. So, less energy for reading than I'd like. But. It will pass.

I hope congratulations will be in order. Hard to navigate negotiations at the best of times, so good luck to you!!

>38 Busifer: I am wishing you all the best in your negotiations.

>38 Busifer: Good luck and strength with the negotiations

>38 Busifer: what >39 Bookmarque: , >40 pgmcc: and >41 hfglen: said, but with even more hugs.

Looks to me that you don't have enough to occupy your time. Why don't you start a major kitchen renovation?

Very sorry to hear your news.

So sorry to hear about your father. I hope he remains pain-free for as long as possible. Best of luck with the new job negotiations too, I hope you can get a good outcome.

>43 suitable1: Right?!

And - thanks everyone. It is what it is. At least my mum decided to hold the bathroom renovations she had planned.

So sorry to hear about your dad - my thoughts are with you all.

Good luck with the job negotiations - I hope all goes well there for you.

I'm so sorry about your dad. I hope his remaining time is as free of pain and full of love as it possibly can be.

Fingers crossed the job sorts out your way.

As you can perhaps imagine, I have been reading books on cancer lately (some helpful, some less so).

One had seen anecdote from a doctor who had gone from his iwn diagnosis to an important negotiation for his career. He said that the negotiation went extremely well, because his sudden forceful reminder concerning what things are most important in life made it impossible to stress as much as he would previously have done about the minor things.

I hope a similar spirit will get you through your own career-related hassles.

Thank you. I think what has happened in my life recently, and not only my father's diagnosis, has forced me to think about what I value in life, with emphasis on my job-life.
I've had a certain hap-hazard approach were I have let things happen, mostly, as long as I've had my team around me. That has step by step forced me into accepting circumstances which I wouldn't ever agree on up front. So, goo to be out of that.

I've had, and still have, a lot of things going on, but I have finally signed with a new employer. With some trepidation, which my husband is tired of hearing about to the extent that he yesterday uttered a phrase containing "broken record" ;-)

>50 Busifer: As I often say to my wife, what are husbands for? Congratulations on having a job, even if it's not ideal. At least it will simplify your life a bit.

>50 Busifer: I find all big decisions, right or wrong, tend to feel that way immediately after being made! Congratulations on your new job - and on having a husband willing to listen and reassure, as appropriate.

>50 Busifer: Congratulations on the new job. I hope it goes well for you and that you get what you need from it, and I am not talking just about money.

Good luck.

By the way, let your husband know there are software applications that will allow you to record the sound of a broken record and have the click sounds removed.

I'm glad you found a new position - I hope it brings you satisfaction and little aggravation.

I hope the new job works for you, or at least doesn't add too much new stress.

Congratulations on landing it!

Congrats on the new job! I hope you are able to adapt to it smoothly and that at least one source of stress is out of your life!

More congrats on New Job, always reassuring to know you're being paid even if it's not a perfect fit. And well wishes for your family, incredibly stressful even if there' little you can actually do.

And more congrats on the new job!

Hope the new job works out, congrats!

Great news about the job, well done! I hope it proves to be interesting, non stressful and with pleasant co-workers.

Congratulations on the new job, I hope it is everything you want it to be.

Congrats, and I do hope all is going as smoothly as possible with the new position. Holding my thumbs!

Congratulations and good luck with the new job.

Belated thanks to all the well-wishes. The last 5-6 weeks has been overwhelming, if anything: landed the new job, but had 4 weeks until it started, two weeks ago now. Those four weeks were filled with one thing only - helping mum with dad, and helping with their situation. He's at home but there's nothing to do except palliative care. Trying times for my mother, who've never met a problem she couldn't master.
I've also socialized a lot with my "support team" - technically former colleagues, but we've know each other for so long that we count each other as friends. And we've been cheering each other on trying to find new jobs, through letdowns and weird interviews. And so on.
Then, starting new job, and - KABOOM! - corona. Much of Swedish society is in stasis mode, on minimal life support, and, well.
All in all, my intent to start socializing online again fell apart.
Now I've made the decision to get back in, but the amount of unread messages is daunting. I think I'll just skip the history and go smack into the now, or I'll never get back!

I miss you all very much, though. Just, my life has been an energy sink for a while now, and I tend to close up when that happens.

Very much holding my thumbs for it to work out this time around.

Hope your dad goes peacefully and easily. It's what we all wish I think. May you and your mom find solace in each other and laugh about the good times you all had.

Good luck w/the new job, too. Unless you're professional distancing, too, lol.

Thank you.
On Saturday dad was taken to the hospital but he's about to return home: he has asked permission to die at home, as no visitors are allowed at any hospital, given the situation, and he doesn't want to go alone.
It's heart-breaking.

And, no room for professional distancing: I need to get this job running, or the dramatic down-turn in the economy will mean I'm soon out of a job again.
Sigh.

Again, thank you.

>66 Busifer: You are in my thoughts. Stressful days indeed. Love to you.

>67 MrsLee: Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.
I won't be able to go see him until this situation has settled, my mum's in a risk group, too, just for being 80+, and I don't want to endanger her. The odds for dad living through this are zero. I feel horrible.

>68 Busifer: My father-in-law is in his 90s and has 16% lung function. This virus would be the end for him as well, so we are keeping well away. Thankfully, so far, he and my MIL are able to care for themselves and their daughter and her husband are bringing them anything they need.

My husband and I both have allergies at the moment, which mimics some of the symptoms of the virus. No fever, and we don't feel ill, but coughing and difficulty getting a breath at times. Even though we don't think we are ill, not taking chances around him.

>69 MrsLee: Sane and sound, however hard, at times.
Hope both of you get well soon, whether it's allergy or something else.

>68 Busifer: I am thinking of you. You are in a very difficult situation at the moment and all I can do is to wish you strength for the days and weeks ahead.

>68 Busifer: Heartbreaking is the only word I can think of. Hugs and strength to you all.

The phrase "between a rock and a hard place" springs to mind. Much strength to all of you.

Thinking of you, Busifer. Strength and peace to you and your family.

A long, loving virtual hug for you, my friend. I have been where you are with both of my parents...without quarantines, thank God. It is hard to watch, but there is a certain peace with it, and I pray you find the peace you need.

Really, it's a perfect storm of events for all of us, and I feel for you dealing with the extra grief of your father's situation. I wish you peace.

Oh Pella... I can't say anything other than what others have said, but you are in my thoughts.
Massive hugs and good wishes to you and your mother.

A huge, heartfelt, enormous thank you to all of you.

I am fighting for sanity to prevail in this world, trying to maintain a mode of "normality", for whatever it's worth. My parents are at peace, though this is hard on them. Dad have been granted Emergency Care at Home, which means he doesn't have to go in to the A&E, not if but when he gets worse, next time. I seldom talk about blessings, but that is one.

Two paragraphs on the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 situation ahead: Different countries has applied different strategies, which isn't surprising as our respective circumstances vary so much. Sweden has adopted the UK strategy of not closing things down entirely: most schools are operational, only without any snivelling students in them. Anyone with the slightest symptom of even a light cold is staying at home, with a recommended minimum of two days extra after experienced total recovery. Work-wise everyone who can is allowed, if not requested, to work from home. The over all effect is that the transport system is almost empty of people, meaning those who HAVE to go in can do so with less risk of infection. And open schools mean essential personell at hospitals etc can keep working.
The meeting ban (with a cap of 500 people) has meant that all sports events, all concerts, and all conferences, has been cancelled, though. Some gyms are closed, and some not.

We'll soon see how that works out. The economy has taken a hard hit, what with Europe and Sweden so dependent on travel and tourism as an income source, and while the government has taken measures to keep people in their jobs despite no business being conducted there is an end to everything.
Hopefully things will get enough under control for the hospitals to manage it, and at that point everyone is in the starting blocks for resuming active life.

On the plus side son recently got into the fantasy genre, and after having thoroughly dissected the entire LoTR universe and fandom (he's doing an essay on Tolkien for school) I helped him go through my admittedly meagre selection of fantasy (hello! Hard SF fan here!) and he ended up with The Raven Tower: think he'll love it :-)
He's also started playing Dragons and Dungeons, online, with some friends.

There's hope, yet, for the world!

Thinking of you during these tough times :(

>66 Busifer: Feel for you in such trying times. Definitely need to protect your mum though, difficult as it will undoubtedly be. Phoned my own mum last night to say I won't be able to see her for a while due to the new suggested methods put in place. She's 86 and although in good health for her age (no doctor's visits for anything other than ear infections or flu jabs in the last 15+ years) I just don't want to take any risks as I would need to use public transport to go see her. We'll keep in touch via phone though so at least there's that and there are other family members that can help out with shopping and such.

Keeping you and your family in my thoughts, Pella. This virus couldn't have come at a worse time for you. I'm glad you have the pleasure of your son's new-found love of fantasy to brighten things up a little.

Very sorry to hear of your situation and the virus making it that much worse. I hope the coronavirus problem gets out of the way soon for you.

Thanks, all of you.

Starting today I and our son both are trying to work from home: he with school and online sessions, and me for, well - work. Luckily we have a cap-less internet connection, and nowadays it's relatively easy to stay in touch with people online. Excepting my parents, my mum is a through and through luddite, but there's always the phone. Even if I had preferred to be able to be there for them, right now.

Maybe if we all dance the same dance at the same time, across the world, we can time-travel to a future were this has passed.

What do we want?

TIME TRAVEL!

When do we want it?

IRRELEVANT!

I don't know what to say, but you and your family have been very much in my thoughts as you go through this.

You are the invisible victims of the Coronavirus; you may never get infected with it yourselves, but for you the "temporary measures" have a severer impact, as your lives are governed by another timescale, which cannot be put on "hold".

But indeed, without the Internet, things would be a lot worse.

>84 pgmcc: YEAH!!!

>85 -pilgrim-: True.

I'm so sorry, Busifer. The time spent away from loved ones is part of the psychological toll of this pandemic, and it's even worse when there's a limit on the time already left. Your parents sound like they are amazing people and have a lovely relationship.

indeed, without the Internet, things would be a lot worse

Yes. For all the disinfo, misinfo, and sheer volume of info on the internet, you can find valid, vetted commentary on the science of the virus, how to mitigate its spread, and what governments and citizens can/should do. I feel sad for people in underserved areas who lack access to the internet (a huge problem, eg, in rural USA).

Cool that your son is getting in to fantasy, Busifer! I, too, vastly prefer hard sci-fi to fantasy, but a reread of Tolkien sounds good right now.

By the way, Pella, the offer I made here to libraryperilous applies to you and your son, too.

Busifer, I think it was your birthday today. It seems kind of presumptuous or something to wish you a happy birthday, given the general circumstances and your own particular ones. But (assuming I have the day right) I send you my best wishes. Come to think of it even if I have the day wrong, best wishes anyway.

>89 haydninvienna: I think it's only right to send her good wishes.

Massive hugs, Pella. Hoping that the good days come as soon as possible.

Oy, it seems I didn't check my own thread: bad me, no ill intent meant.

>89 haydninvienna: Yes, that was my birthday. It passed reasonably well, all things considered, thank you. Husband works at Sweden's largest hospital, and had a 12 hour shift that day, so we didn't do anything special. But it was OK.

>90 clamairy: Thanks you. My dad is in a bad place, but mum has, at last, accepted help, which is a relief.

>87 libraryperilous: He tells me he likes The Raven Tower very much, and so I hope I can get him into her sf work as well ;-)

>88 hfglen: Well, as you know South Africa has been on my bucket list for a long time now. Couchsurfing is, at this point, probably as close as I'll get. At least for the foreseeable future, all things considered. I live vicariously through your pictures!

>91 Busifer: He might like Becky Chambers, too. I need to try The Raven Tower again. I made a start on it and then had to return it to the library.

>92 libraryperilous: Yeah, he just might! Good idea.

On a positive note I earlier this week got news that my job is safe. Yay!

Horraaahhh!

Brilliant news. That will be a weight off your mind. A bit of good news at this time is very welcome.

>93 Busifer: Great stuff!

>93 Busifer: That's wonderful news!

>93 Busifer: Woohoo! Hope you can relax at least a little bit now.

Phew!! That's great to hear. None of us need additional stress these days.

Thanks, all!

I'm greatly relieved, though I received the news during what I'd normally label a severe case of Noro-virus, only the way I have washed my hands and taken general care scrubbing and washing anything that's been outside the flat makes me wonder how that even could happen. (Local statistics shows that the Noro-virus has been practically eradicated in Sweden this season as well, which is great.)
Anyway, I wasn't in any form to celebrate at the time, but it lifted a weight from my shoulders.
In the mean time I managed to send out a handful of job applications. We'll see were that takes me. It's great not to be in a hurry, though.

My dad and his cancer is on a downward curve, and mum tries hard not to cry. I wish I could help, but I can't, not beyond keeping in touch. I so wish she wouldn't be such a Luddite, she hates all things technical and so I can't even Facetime with her, not to mention setting up a three-part video call with my sister and mum/dad. She's angry that dad's "practically new" 15 yo Macbook doesn't work any more (OS version too old for any modern web browser, and the hardware isn't enough for an OS upgrade) and had just now agreed for me to help her get a new one when all of this broke out.
(He was planning to replace it already 7 years ago, but then he had a stroke and lost all memory on how to use computers. Mum didn't touch it for a long time after that.)

In times like these it makes one look twice at life, and on mortality. I find it very hard to read.

>93 Busifer: Yay!! (ETA, since I was VERY slow posting) About the job, that is. Strength to you with the parents.

>99 Busifer:

I am thinking of you and your family at this dark time.

It feels good to know all of you are out there.

I'm starting a new assignment on Monday, I hope that will help to shift thoughts a bit.

Virtual hugs to anyone who needs it.

>102 Busifer: Right back at you, Busifer.

>102 Busifer: And a big hug from me to you too.

>104 -pilgrim-: ...and to you.

Big hug from me too, but I'm doing OK.

>106 haydninvienna: That's good to hear.

Actually, I seem to be doing better than most LT-ers. Safe, comfortable, still working, no significant panic-buying and the supermarkets fully stocked. Only thing is, I can't travel,so no wife, no family, no concerts. Still much better than what a lot of people are going through. In the Cookbookers group people have been noting that they can't buy flour. Plenty here but no way of getting it to you.

I managed to finish A memory called empire yesterday. Yay!

Despite it taking me forever to finish I did love it. Only, being made redundant at work it got put aside, and when I picked it up again I had to reread at least parts of the story before being able to continue from were I left off. It shows that the author has a deep knowledge and interest in East Rome, but it never becomes a carbon copy of history. The story does get a bit byzantine at times, though, which I guess wouldn't appeal to everyone.

The protagonist is sent as an ambassador for her minor mining station/republic to the empire controlling most of known space, and through her we get to follow an intense period in the history of this empire: a period of civil unrest, unclear succession, and a suggested war of conquest (of the mining station's territory).

Well written. Can be read as a stand alone, but I can't wait for the next installment to get published!

(I also expect to finish listening to Dan Jones' mastodon work The Plantagenets: The kings who made England quite soon; I really want to move on to John Scalzi's The Last Emperox, which I got from Audible a couple of days ago.)

Edited to fix touchstones.

Just catching up with your rollercoaster of events. Hooray for your job being safe, that must be a huge relief. My commiserations on your father's downturn, it is so awful not being able to spend time with our loved ones in this situation. Your mum sounds very like mine in her dislike of technology. She has never learned to text and usually has her (non-smart) mobile turned off. She too has an old laptop, which runs on Windows Vista, and complains that it doesn't connect to the internet and is very slow. I bought her a tablet for Christmas this year and am trying to persuade her to use it more, if only to look up the answers to crossword clues. Many older folks have embraced new technology but it is difficult when your loved ones won't do so.

I am glad you loved A memory called Empire. So did I and I'm eagerly awaiting the sequel.

>110 Sakerfalcon: Thank you. My mum doesn't even have a mobile phone, even an un-smart one. That, too, was about to change when this hit us. I so wish I've had your foresight and bought them a tablet for Yule, because my mum is far from incompetent with tech and so definitely would had managed to use it. In her case it is just a case of distrust and dislike: she truly is a Luddite, thinking our machines are destroying us.

(Quite the opposite to husband's step-mum, who embraces tech with a vengeance but is completely unfit to use it. After all these years she still has no idea of how to use her smartphone for anything - she barely manages to use it to make calls. But all her other octogenarian friends Facebook and do mobile payments on theirs, so she wants it, too.)

>109 Busifer: Yay, you're reading! Glad you liked this one. It's on my TBR short list.

>99 Busifer: Could you have gotten a case of food poisoning somehow?

So sorry about your father, and your inability to be there.

>112 clamairy: My thought is food poisoning, too.

I think you might like A memory called empire.

The story does get a bit byzantine at times

Appropriate, as the author has a PhD Byzantine history

My hold on A Memory Called Empire finally came in. I can't wait to start it.

I'm happy to hear that your job is secure!

Edited: typo

>114 libraryperilous: Well, in this household we call it East Rome, not Byzantium.
The wording was a perhaps weak jest alluding to her academic field :)
When I found that one out, about 1/10th into the book, I felt it made total sense although some of the politics more resemble that of the successor state, the Osman Empire.

Adding my love to your thread for all the ups and downs you are going through. Hang in there.

>116 MrsLee: (((Thank you!!!)))

Sending you a virtual hug for all the everything. Life throwing everything at you at once!

>118 littlegeek: Thank you!

Finished listening to The Plantagenets: The kings who made England yesterday: what a mastodon, thankful this was an audio or I had never finished it. In the end, as so often, the conclusion was more interesting than the plethora of details presented in the actual work, but I guess he's fairly well researched.
The history ends with Richard II, and suddenly I got a craving for the Hollow Crown (BBC) version, with Ben Whishaw as as Richard.

For some reason I'm struggling with finishing The menace from farside. It's an incredibly slim volume, and I have managed to read the other books in that universe even while they are quite clunky at times. But this has a totally different tone; it feels like Ian McDonald is trying to emulate the voice of Murderbot, which is very far from his normal voice. It comes off as a kind of stylistic experiment, and it doesn't work in his favour.

On the other hand I have a pile of TBR's, not least the new Murderbot story, full length novel Network effect, which should prove more of a joy to read. Or a biography on Spinoza that has migrated from my father's library and onto my bedside table pile...

Edited to fix touchstones.

Uhu, I think I’ll find me some three hours of free time to watch Coriolanus, come June - https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/shows/nt-at-home-coriolanus

It will be available for free on their Youtube channel between June 4-11, starting in the evening on the 4th, if one’s in the European time zones :-)

>121 Busifer: Yes, that one is on my "to do" list also. I haven't seen Coriolanus for decades.

But I am also trying too schedule the Shakespeare's Globe streams, which are free for 14 days from their YouTube premieres (Macbeth premiered last night).
https://www.shakespearesglobe.com/watch/

>122 -pilgrim-: I had the Globe ambition but haven't managed to get it to work out. Too much work to do, and too much other stuff going on. I have several online evening seminars and workshops coming up, for professional networks that I'm a member of. Coriolanus seemed like something I could get into my calendar well ahead to actually being able to make it happen :-)

>121 Busifer: Will have to add this to my calendar so I don't forget come June.

Two weeks ago I longed for mashrabiya screens, to allow for shade, light, and air, simultaneously, because it was scorching hot and bright.

Today I would like my windows covered in think velvet drapes, possibly with a 10-20 cm gap at the top (they are 2,4 metres tall, on a 3,3 m wall) to allow for some daylight. Because it's sleeting, and the cold air "falls" from the windows and onto me while I sit at my desk, silently working my way through my tasks.

What we used to call "April weather" seems to have sneaked its way into May.

>125 Busifer:

The more you describe the weather in Sweden the more I think you are living in Dublin. On Sunday I said to my wife, "The April showers are not in May."

>125 Busifer:, >126 pgmcc: It was snowing the day before yesterday. A first for May here, I think.

Started listening to The Last Emperox. So far so fun!
(I have said it before, but I love Wil Wheaton's voice acting!)

ETA: I take walks around the area where I live while listening to it, and I find myself laughing and grinning like an idiot!

>128 Busifer: I take walks around the area where I live while listening to it, and I find myself laughing and grinning like an idiot!

That sounds like a happy space.

>128 Busifer: >129 pgmcc: Indeed yes.I've just posted in my own thread about walking around Doha in the early morning. Now if I were to download, say, a P G Wodehouse audiobook, I could walk around Doha grinning like an idiot too.

>130 haydninvienna: Yes! And in the case of Scalzi and Wheaton a lucky combination. I'm not that fond of Scalzi when I'm reading him, but hearing his words as read/acted by Wheaton is a very enjoyable experience!

>131 Busifer: As you probably gathered from my comments on my own thread, I was extremely unimpressed by my foray into Scalzi. Can you articulate what his appeal is, for you?

It's good to know the rest of the series is panning out well, as I enjoyed the first one. (Although looking at my records I've apparently also read the 2nd and was less impressed). >132 -pilgrim-: To me they're fast easy reads incorporating a clever set of politics, characters make sensible choices based off limited information, something I enjoy.

>133 reading_fox: Thanks reading_fox.

>132 -pilgrim-: The series that Busifer is reading is quite different to Old man's war. It is much more what I expected from an author of Scalzi's political leanings, being an allegory of Climate change denial and its consequences in an interstellar setting. Characters are more nuanced and you don't have the issue of a group who all think and act in the same way that you noticed in OMW. I agree with Readingfox's comments too - the books are quick and enjoyable to read.

>132 -pilgrim-: Yes, to what >133 reading_fox: says, and likewise with >135 Sakerfalcon:. Old Man's War never talked to me. But never did his funnier stuff, either. To me it's the combination of his writing, which especially in later years is more allegorical, utilizing satire to press his points.
But. For me it's listening, not reading, that really makes them enjoyable. It's like listening to a radio play, a very funny radio play, rather than just an audio book.

>136 Busifer: I started and finished with Scalzi some years ago, with Agent to the Stars. It didn’t grab me despite its being represented to me as hilarious, and I DNFed it and never went back, and have felt no urge to try again.

>137 haydninvienna: I sometimes find that being told a book is funny can be a death blow. People's sense of humour varies so widely, especially between nations and cultures, that what is funny to one reader isn't at all (and might in fact be offensive) to another. I gave Elizabeth and her German Garden to my mum to read because I thought she'd enjoy it but she read the introduction first which made her think it was a humorous novel that would make her laugh, and that spoiled the reading experience for her when she didn't find it funny at all. (I told her never to read the introduction first!)

>137 haydninvienna: I haven't read that one and couldn't possibly comment. The funny bit in the Interdependency books are hugely dependent on one's appreciation for political intrigue and not getting offended by a description of how a group of people reacted to something finished off with "...because capitalism works that way" or "...because banks are naturally conservative, it's part of the name, even", all told in Wheaton's dry tone.
Anyone who would think otherwise will not greatly enjoy them, I think.

And perhaps "witty" is a better descriptor than "funny". They are not hilariously funny. It's a fast paced political thriller that makes a stab and run at a great many phenomena in modern culture, told tongue in cheek.

I enjoy it.

I'm again at a point were I need to do some catching up, here at the pub. It's no chore, though; it's good to again have some time and energy to spend here :-)

The reason for my absence this time is manifold, but mainly has to do with lack of energy. Corona has affected the consultancy business, as companies and government agencies spends less. Half of my colleagues are furloughed. And so I got to a point where I looked for a new job, as an act of self-defence, if nothing else. At the same time I got an assignment, and that assignment has been more complex than the client estimated: I like the job, but it's a drain on my energy reserves. At the same time my dad got worse, fast, and almost two weeks ago he got admitted to the hospital. A couple of days ago it looked very bad, but at least yesterday it looked like he would be able to come home again, soon.

Anyway, I'm just off the phone from putting in my notice for my present employment. I've still three months to do - I really want to finish everything in a good way - but after summer I expect to start my new job, at the Swedish Public Employment Service. After almost 30 years as a consultant I'm going to switch to being a government agent ;-)
It will be a challenge, I am sure, but one I'm ready to take. I know what team I'm going to work with, and I like the people. It's going to be fun! And, I'm getting the chance to make a difference for people who are unemployed. Which feels good. I know a lot of people who've been laid off due to corona: stage hands, musicians, but also people like myself (ie consultants doing UX research, business and requirements analysts, and so on).

For various reasons, such as above, I have still 45 minutes left of The last Emperox, but enjoying it very much. I think I'll pick up the latest Murderbot novel after, in paper form - Network Effect.

>140 Busifer: Sorry to hear about your father's hospital stay but glad he may be out soon.

Congratulations and good luck with the new job. It sounds like you are starting a role that will be badly needed and will be of benefit to people. I wish you the best for it.

When I moved from consultancy to non-consulting work it was a great relief not having to constantly sell the next day's work. I hope you find the new, non-consulting work a beneficial experience.

>140 Busifer: Thank you.

"...it was a great relief not having to constantly sell the next day's work."
Besides being able to work for the greater good, hopefully, this ^ is my main reason for leaving the consultancy business.
(Also, working for a national agency has its own benefits, such as 7 weeks of paid vacation.)

>142 Busifer: 7 weeks of paid vacation. Wow!

being able to work for the greater good Very nice.

My older son works for a start-up that developed an app for people with mobility issues and it provides information on the accessibility of premises such as restaurants, hotels, cinemas, shops, pubs, etc... As it is about moving about and going places the workload there has reduced greatly with a large amount of the World population, both physically able and disabled, being locked down. I was worried about him and was relieved when he told me that another company that shares their accommodation was doing work on the national booking system for medical testing and that they have given his firm a contract for his time to support them on their system that has had to scale up dramatically in response to the pandemic. Not only did he get this protection from the slump, but he is doing something that is helping thousands of people in a very practical way.

>140 Busifer: Ditto what >141 pgmcc: said. Sorry about the ongoing issues with your father, and my heartiest congrats on the new job!

I hope your dad will be home again soon.

And good luck with the new job. It sounds like it will be a change for the good.

>143 pgmcc: That is very good, but I hope the world will get going again enough for his original job to pick up again - accessibility is an issue that I've spent many years working on to ensure.

>144 clamairy:, >145 Sakerfalcon: Thank you, on both accounts. I'm looking forward to the change!

>146 Busifer: Access Earth is his App. He and a friend developed it as a project during a university course they were doing on coding. They now have Venture Capital fund investment.

>147 pgmcc: Thank you for publicising this. I hope the app takes into account the variety of disabilities and did not fall into that common trap of equating "mobility issues" with "in a wheelchair". (Many disabled people work hard on trying to stay out of them.)

>140 Busifer: I am sorry to hear the news about your father, and hope that he makes a good enough recovery to return home.

I am very glad to hear that after all the stress that you have gone through with respect to your work, you have finally found a place that is secure, interesting and fulfilling, and that will allow you to focus on the work itself, rather than the employment market.

>140 Busifer:

Ohhh! Government agent. Will you get to work with James Bond? Is he allowed in Sweden?

>148 -pilgrim-:
The app focuses on the accessibility and facilities of an establishment. My son’s colleague uses a rollator (zimmer frame with wheels) and it was his experiences that generated the idea.

>150 pgmcc: "rollator" aka "old folks' Ferrari" in this neck of the woods

>140 Busifer: Congrats on the upcoming new job. It sounds like a great opportunity and I hope it’s as fulfilling as expected!

>150 pgmcc: Excellent. So it doesn't give an unqualified pass to those establishments who put all assistive rails at chair height only!

>153 -pilgrim-: It is members of the public who rate the establishment by walking through a set of prompts about various features. It even asks if it has the lavatories with the lifting hoist to assist severe cases.

>155 -pilgrim-: Can I borrow some arms to give this extra thumbs up please?

>140 Busifer: So sorry to hear about your dad. Congrats on the new job though! Sounds like quite a lot of change all at once.

Great news about the job, and I read #140 as somewhat qualified good news about your father. Big changes, yes, but hopefully for the better.

>149 suitable1: Well. I don't expect to do that kind of work, personally, but otherwise my lips are sealed ;-)

>147 pgmcc:, >154 pgmcc: Either we have been talking about this before, or I have come in contact with this app or a similar one in another context... because I recognize both the member/user-driven aspects and the aim.
Either way, the more of services like this, the better.

And thank you, everyone, for the well-wishes, both regarding my new job, and my father.

>158 Busifer:
We can't wait for you and pgmcc to meet up for a training mission.

>160 suitable1: What makes you think we haven’t already done so?

>161 pgmcc: Shush: it’s meant to be secret!

>162 Busifer:
Oops! Sorry!

Finished The Last Emperox, yesterday. It was funny, in a witty sort of way, but the ending felt lame. Part of the charm with the story (and then I'm talking about the trilogy, not only this book) is the personality of the various characters that we get to meet. And in the last section/handful of chapters the story distances itself from the individuals and take a more bird's view of the events.

I still liked it, it was a fun ride to be on. The ending lowers it from a stable 4 to a 3.5 stars. Maybe even 3, but I'm feeling generous ;-)

I need to finish Menace from Farside before I get to pick up another paper-read (which will be Network Effect), but on the listening front I've started the short lecture series The art of war, from The Greater Courses. So far so good.

>164 Busifer: Well I'm glad it was humorous, at least. I've only bought the first in that series so far, still have a few of his other books to read before I start that one.

*chants* Murderbot! Murderbot!

>165 clamairy: Well, I'll get to it, be sure!!!

BBC3 Breakfast tells me today is the Swedish National Day. Happy Day to Pella and any other Swedish people in the pub!

Thank you!

We celebrate the break with the Kalmar Union, back in 1523.

In 1520 the Danish king Kristian II, in Denmark named "the benevolent", crowned himself King of Sweden. He met with dissent, which he in turn met with a brutal mass-execution of most of the Swedish nobility on a major town square i Stockholm. This started his nickname "the Tyrant" in Sweden, and the start of the Swedish liberation war.

On June 6 1523 it formally ended, as the new, Swedish, king was crowned. He turned out to be brutal in his reign, and with him Sweden broke with the Roman Catholic church. There are parallells with Henry VIII, in more ways than one. He is rumoured to have killed his first wife with an axe, and he was a ruthless, power-hungry, man. A modern-day autopsy on his remains suggest that he died from a leg infection that had become chronic. Contemporary sources just say that he became "affected by sickness". (I think, this is not my area of expertise.)

I'm not sure such a man should be celebrated.

Our son calls this day "Bye-bye Denmark Day", and that we can celebrate, though ;-)

>168 Busifer: Happy today, whichever particular thing you want to commemorate.

>169 pgmcc: Thank you!

>170 Busifer: I was fascinated with the bit of Swedish history you posted.

>171 pgmcc: me too!

>168 Busifer: Yikes! 🥴

>168 Busifer: Happy Whatever-you-want-to-think-of-it-as Day!

The parallel with Henry VIII is interesting. If one looks at the early part of Henry's reign, before his jousting injury, he was shaping up to be an exceptionally good king - well-educated, and interested in such matters, and a skilled diplomat as well as a soldier, handsome and a good athlete.

Did your Swedish king show any similar promise prior to his injury?

I often think we underestimate the effects of chromic pain on the course of history. Even with modern painkillers, it can affect one's temper. When one considers what it must have been like to be in permanent pain from a badly healed wound, with alcohol as the most widely available painkiller, then the short-tempered, erratic behaviour of some of history's more notorious figures becomes more understandable.

>174 -pilgrim-: He certainly was popular during the liberation war; he was the leader that people followed, and in many ways instrumental in the outcome. This was why he, a relative commoner, was the one to take the throne. He managed to to keep it for 37 years, a record which wasn't broken until modern times. I think he was perceived as able, at least.
He was athletic, and smart: he has been described as "machiavellian".

I do think the pain affected him; I agree fully with your assessment.

Eventually (two days ago) I finished The Menace from Farside, which proved to be a struggle. And that despite it being a novella.
The story is kind of a world-building background story for the Luna series, and I tend to enjoy such. In this case I was put off by the tone of voice of the narrator: it was being told in first person, and for me clearly that didn't work well. I'll still give it 3 stars, and maybe it had fared better at another time.

Now on to Network effect, and after that I have my copy of Empire of Gold waiting for me at the SF bookshop! That clearly will take precedence over my other TBR's. Hopefully neither of these two reads will disappoint :-)

Reading speed is presently affected by the extraction of a tooth, two days ago. Whatever energy I have is spent on my work assignment, so that I can finish with honours (or at least with my professional integrity intact). Hopefully I'll pick up some energy once the wound starts to heal more properly. At the moment there's some side effects related to my left sinus and eye, as the root that had to come out was perilously close to the sinus. But so far so good.

>176 Busifer: Oh yuck. Sending best wishes.

Holding my thumbs for some rapid healing, and I do hope Murderbot provides a worthy distraction.

>176 Busifer: I hope the chipmunk stage doesn't last too long.

Best wishes with the work finale.

Thanks, all. I have but opened the Murderbot book and put a bookmark at he start of chapter 1... so progress is so and so. Not because I don't want to, but because my head starts to hurt when I try to read after work is done with. It's temporary, but irritating. It's getting better, too, and I like to think that I've left the initial stage of intense and slightly pathetic self-pity behind ;-)

Felt like it took virtually forever, despite being a good read, but yesterday I finished Network Effect. Loved it (of course) though it's not as fast/breathless as the four previous novel(ette)s.

We get to meet old friends, and new ones, as Murderbot continues to struggle with its relationships and with what it really wants for itself. All while trying to handle life-threatening situations.

Next up will be Empire of Gold, though a friend has written a novel that I promised to read and give feedback on. I consider it a great honour, and approach the project with some trepidation. He's written in a genre I normally don't read, and admits to being very influenced by an author that I haven't read. But the least I can do is read and give my honest feedback.

Also, I've been listening to the BBC podcast The Boring Talks.
The concept is to get a person who is deeply engaged in a topic that others might consider boring to talk about it in 15-20 minutes. Topics could be box certificates, breakfast cereals (my favourite, so far), swearing in Hindi vs English, and so on. Some of them are funny, some are thought-provoking.

>182 Busifer: Are any of them boring?

If not, this could be a case of false advertising. A case could be taken.

>181 Busifer: We get to meet old friends, and new ones, as Murderbot continues to struggle with its relationships and with what it really wants for itself. All while trying to handle life-threatening situations."

So, it is just a normal person's diary?

>184 pgmcc: Only, Murderbot isn't exactly what anyone would consider "normal", what with being a construct specifically made to be a disposal commodity... oh, wait, that could be any worker, in any line of work! ;-)

>183 pgmcc: Not boring! The name comes from the topics probably being considered boring by most people... so, it's a programme featuring various kinds of nerds. Ie people with a special disregard for the strictures of "adulthood" (at least as adulthood is perceived from a protestant/lutheran background, ie work hard, never question anything, don't have any personal ambitions, shoulder your pains stoically...). I like that.

>185 Busifer:

I see we have a lot in common.

:-)

>182 Busifer: >185 Busifer: >186 pgmcc: I thought Busifer’s description of “nerds” would fit about 98% of Dragoneers.

>187 haydninvienna:
At least!

I tend to think so, too, and that's why I decided to share the link to the podcast page :-)

>182 Busifer: I don't need another podcast (I'm about 30 hours behind on the ones I already subscribe to), but The Boring Talks sounds right up my alley. My husband and I love going to local "Nerd Nites" which are the same idea - someone gets up on stage for 20 minutes to introduce the audience to their passion. I have to admit, the woman who did 20 minutes on Canadian tax law lost me, but generally they're fascinating. The burlesque dancer was a highlight, finishing her presentation with a performance.

>190 tardis: Oh, that sounds like something I'd enjoy! The good thing with The Boring Talk podcast is that each episode is so short. But I hear you. I too am behind on almost everything that I enjoy listening to. In those cases it's more like a 45-60 minute commitment, each time, and that call for some planning...

>185 Busifer: It's an interesting definition of nerd. I have to think about that one. I will say that on some other thread >187 haydninvienna: and I were talking about the educational value of Pub threads. Your's definitely qualifies.

Nerds!!

>192 jillmwo: Well, I thought about adding something about my background in combination with a note on not trying to shine a bad light on religion: it was kind of a throwaway comment, not very well thought through.

>193 Bookmarque: *grins*

No updates on the reading front, yet: I'm happy with The Empire of Gold but have not had that much time in with to read: the backlog for stuff that needs be done in the house, on the house, and in the garden, is huge.
I've tried to mend the lawn from some heavy tractor thread marks (installation of the sauna, back in October), but the winter has not treated the garden kindly this year, and there's a lot to do. I've already put some of it off until next year. We simply don't have the time, we need prioritize. And we do want to do some things that are for leisure only, too.
All work makes no one happy.

Cleaned out the boat earlier today, it's just a small thing with an outboard motor, but it was very dirty... and there's so many insects down by the river waiting for some blood to come their way my back looked like a cobbled street when I had finished. If the weather holds - knock on wood, we've had 11 days of rain, but forecast is now for the next 3-4 days being not-rain - I have a lot of paint work to do. Husband is fixing a ditch, and we have decided to put some ground isolation in around a corner of the house which we have to lift and adjust with a huge house-jack-screw every summer if we want to be able to open the door towards the verandah. This, too, is on his list, not mine (though we help each other with everything).

We have managed to watch the entire first season of Babylon 5 as well. But now, I'm off to read.

I have been frustrated by cloud in the evenings and have not been able to see the NeoWise comet. Have you had a chance to see it?

My sympathies on all the rain. Send it this way! Some days I have to water my herbs, veggies and other plants twice. I'm sure all that rain won't diminish your bug population! Hope you manage to get stuff done and enjoy some leisure time.

>195 Busifer: Not a stellar year perhaps for vacation experiences for any of us. Perhaps a few days of sunshine will help. I did see the FB picture of your successful wallpapering job! That looked wonderful.

I've been away from the pub, because for some reason my days got too full of stuff to do. I just didn't have the energy to turn on the laptop.

>196 pgmcc: No, no comet-watching: too much rain, ie heavy cover of clouds. Also, at the latitude our cabin's at it's often too light out to see such things, in summer, even when the sky is clear. Some years ago there was that famous "blood moon", and yes, it was close on the horizon and looked large and all but it definitely looked pretty standard to me, colourwise.

>197 clamairy: Well, I had been happy to send at least half if not most of it your way. Now we didn't get all of the much needed exterior paintwork done, and we'll have to hope for a dry winter or we might end upp needing to replace some of the panels, especially around our bathroom window.

>198 jillmwo: Indeed. It has been the most strange experience, this year.
Thank you on the wallpaper job. I'm happy with the result (and son is very happy with having a wall and a door between him and the rest of the world, too).

I'm now back down south, with mixed feelings. I would like to have stayed for another four weeks, to get on top of the to-do list without having to sacrifice actually having a vacation. And this year it rained so much we didn't ever get to use the garden as much as we want, either. But it was great weather for using the sauna, so there's that. And less reading done than I had hoped and planned for: unexpected things needing attention and repair. Oh well.
But it's also good to be back, down here, where it is actually possible to go to a grocery and find what you'd need to make proper Lebanese food, for example (except sumak: how can most shops have everything one needs, including a decent mhamara, but no sumak!?)

I expect to get back to reading, now, though, which is another plus :-)

>199 Busifer: t the latitude our cabin's at it's often too light out to see such things

I am ashamed of myself for not thinking of that. It was bright here until after 11 and I totally forgot you are much further north.

>200 pgmcc: No, anyone would make that mistake. A favourite trick question in quizzes here is on the theme of equal latitude, because not even we can fathom how far north our country goes. I’m north of you even down here in Stockholm, and up by our cabin Anchorage, Alaska, looks like a southern resort ;-)
And in the mind of most Alaska is far off and cold, no?

The cabin lie just on the south side of the arctic circle, and we have fx no indigenous apples: those that grow up there are often of Siberian heritage.
When the Gulf stream stops it that area will get considerably less livable, and most Swedes have never been up there. Sadly, because it is both beautiful and has an interesting history that people could learn from.

My dear Busifer. Oh my goodness! What a year you’ve been having. I’m slowly trying to catch up on everyone’s threads and today it’s your turn. I’m so sorry to hear about your father. Damn this corona virus that keeps us apart. And all the ups and downs with your job situation, whew! I’m so glad that has had a positive result at last.

Dear lady, I’m sending massive hugs and will now be keeping you and your family in my thoughts.

On the reading front, I am intrigued with all these comments on Murderbot. This missed me completely and now I’ll be on the hunt for the stories to check it all out.

>202 katylit: A huge heartfelt thank you.
Hopefully the job situation will turn out well. I'm reserving judgment until I've actually started my new job (three weeks left!) but I can't deny that the over all feeling is a very positive one.

My dad is on a steep slope downhill, and he's now in great pain. It has started to affect his cognitive abilities, and I fear that the end is near. I spoke to mum only just now, and she's insistent that I should not come visit lest I expose myself to covid-19: I'll have to use public transport for the trip, they live 45-50 minutes away from us. I am a high risk group, as I have a weak immune system, but it is agonizing. I think I might risk it anyway. With due precautions it should not be more of a risk than shopping for groceries?

You should definitely check Murderbot out, I think there's a high chance that you'll like it!
If you haven't read them yet I think there's a probability that you'll like the trilogy starting with City of Brass as well.

>203 Busifer: I am so sorry to hear that you are in this horrible dilemma.

Hoe safe the public transport system is depends on how well people are behaving - I have seen buses here with masked people carefully occupying every other row of seats only. If people are behaving responsibly, them that should not be high risk.

It is the same with grocery stores - it is not your choice as to whether other people crowd up close, because they are not concerned about the risk, or not.

Would a taxi be a viable option? Most here are now arranged so as to provide distancing between passenger and driver.

*hugs* from another "shielder" here.

>204 -pilgrim-: I think the risk is small, but not negligible. People who don't feel well are, mainly, not going out, which of course lessen overall exposure, and most people behave in a responsible way. It works well in all shops that I've been to, not to mention the train ride down south recently, almost all public spaces; restaurants, even.

I'm not that enthusiastic about the fairly long bus ride, though. On the tube people are able to keep the distance, but my experiences with buses this far is not encouraging. Since then drivers has been empowered to stop people from overcrowding, though, so...
And husband has survived air travel in a crowded cabin (yeah, the carrier said they'd not do it, but then cancelled flight after flight after flight until all travellers had to crowd into one plane or not get where they needed to be).

I will not go by taxi. The cost is prohibiting - think £120+ - and so I'd rather rent a car over the day, for less money. That would assist in getting some tasks off my to-do list as well.

To tell the truth I'm not officially in a risk group, no chronic illnesses and I'm not officially diagnosed with a deficient immune system. It's just that I tend to get whatever is circulating at the moment. Which is why I am a big believer in vaccination, btw.

So I will visit them. It will require some more planning than it usually does, though. And mum's insistence that I better not come put a damper on everything.

>203 Busifer:
I am thinking of you and your family. It is a difficult time for you. You do not need me to tell you that. I just want you to know I am wishing you strength and wishing well for you.

>206 pgmcc: It means a lot to me, though, so thank you.

>204 -pilgrim-: Sending you strength and hugs as well.

Sending my very best wishes to you and your family. I hope you are able to visit your dad safely.

Sending my love and comforting thoughts. I keep thinking about how we are trying to protect my husband's parents from Covid, yet they are in their 90s, is it any better for them to be alone and not see their family? Difficult decisions. Whatever you decide, know that you did the best with the knowledge you have. *hug*

>209 Sakerfalcon:, >210 MrsLee: Thank you, both.

In my case I think it's my mum trying to protect me from covid-19. Her grandkids, my son included, have all been by at least once, traveling both there and back again by public transportation: dad wants to see them all before he passes.
I've yet to decide how to handle this, but mum is quite clear: they do not feel lonely or left out.
A difficult decision.

*hugs*

Finished The Empire of Gold late last night. Mixed feelings. I very much enjoyed it, but for various real life circumstances it took a long time read. And so reading was split up in a lot of smaller parts, which I guess affected my over all experience.

The various protagonists gets to know more about who they really are, while the antagonist is revealed to have tipped all the way into the territory of the eternally unforgivable. In the end change, hopefully for the better, takes place.

The antagonist is repeatedly described as someone who, had circumstances been different, would had been a huge asset to society, and a good person. And indeed, most people don't view themselves as evil, but as doing either good for society as they see it, or as doing what society expects of them (even if it is enriching themselves, to the detriment of everyone else. My problem with this when it comes to Manizheh, I think, is that everything that we're told about her gainsays this. She is revealed to have killed her own brother, decades ago, only because he wanted to follow his heart while she thought he in doing so betrayed their tribe; she repeatedly sells out her people to gain power; she's convinced she's the only one who ca set things right, and so whatever price is justified. Atrocity after atrocity is revealed, and while she has justified each step, each action, to herself as being the price one has to pay to set things right each of them has been a horrible act.

I leave the Daevabad universe wishing for more, but I also think the trilogy ended at just the right point: the risk of glorifying and underestimating what should come next, given what has happened so far - the internal history of the universe, I you will - is too great, and Chakraborty made the wise decision to end the story before it shot itself in the foot.

For my next read I'm yet undecided. My previous plan was to read A peace to end all peace: The fall of the Ottoman Empire and the creation of the modern Middle East; in a way continuing the theme.
I think I will adhere to the plan but has a lot of report-writing ahead of me so I think it might be a while until I actually open upp the book (it's on paper).

>212 Busifer: I am glad you enjoyed The Empire of Gold. Again I thought Chakraborty got a lot right in terms of spoilerconflict resolution. Once again she reminded me of what happened in Northern Ireland. The only thing different was that the peace talks in NI happened before the walls between the communities were taken down. In fact, the peace walls are still in place in NI.

In terms of Manizheh and her descent into the depths of depravity, I can see how she was ended up trapped in a cul de sac of evil having bargained for the magic of the "creatures-the-name-of-which-I-cannot-remember". In addition, everyone is the hero in their own story. Manizheh considers herself the smartest person in the room, any room. She has self-justified her borrowing the magic of the evil ones and is therefore deep in the perception that she is the only one that knows what is right for her people, even if here people do not agree with her.

By the way, I have not escaped the power of Daevabad. Yesterday I spotted, and bought, a novella called A Dead Djinn in Cairo. It was 79p in the Kindle store. :-(

>213 pgmcc: I think both Manizheh and the way she ended up being who she became is depicted in a realistic way; also, how people who had been around her for a long time could not clearly perceive her decent into psychopatic megalomania is convincing - one small step at a time, each justified by "the cause", and each time one step more across the line. And the rest of the people just trying to survive, to stay afloat, paying lip service and thus enabling.
Made me think of Stalin, for some reason, though I can see the parallels with NI as well, though I'm sure for others fx the ongoing situation in the Middle East is close at hand, as well.

One of the things that I like the most with these books is that the author has managed to let the personal stories of the various cast paint the picture, rather than using them as puppets to Explain How It Is. It is not as much a piece of propaganda as it is a document laid bare for the reader to take in.
I appreciate that, I don't like being lectured.

(A dead djinn in Cairo seems almost eerily close. Reading the short resume in the popup blurb it seems like it takes place in a time period not far removed from that in the Daevabad books? I hope you get out alive *grin*)

(Against all odds I started A peace to end all peace yesterday. It is printed on an extremely thin paper, with extremely small and tightly set typography, but so far...)

Belatedly wishing you all the best in the new job, and I hope also that your father is at least reasonably comfortable. I've been where you are now, but without the added grief of not being able to visit safely. Once gain, strength to you.

I hope you manage to visit your dad without taking too many risks. The car rental idea sounds like the best plan. I'm sorry he's in so much pain. I hope they get that under control. Big sympathies to your mother, too.

I'll come back to read your Daevabad spoilers after I read the final book. I have the digital copy on hold at the library, but I put a delay on the hold during the power outage because I wasn't reading much.

I was toying with the idea of starting a thread about how dependant we are on electricity and internet, but I was afraid it might wander into politics. What do you think?

>216 clamairy:
I think such a discussion is about the reality in which we are living. I do not see it as political. We live in a world that Sci Fi writers strived to imagine and warn us about. Go for it.

>214 Busifer: I was just reading about how the Treaty of Sevres is still driving Turkey's policy, I'll be interested in reading your thoughts on that book.

>216 clamairy: I think a discussion on our global dependency on a stable power source would be very interesting. Very hard to not have it veer into the deeply political. If it is at all possible to keep party politics out of it this would be the place, though? Or so I think.

>218 Karlstar: I'll be reporting here on it once I've read it, but it will be some time. The upcoming weeks are packed with finishing my last assignment as a consultant, at least for now, preparing for my new job - must get new mobile phone, arrange various retirement packages provided by present and previous employers... yeah. Loads of less than fun stuff.
And this is a book that needs some focus.

I'm holding my thumbs for things to go more smoothly than anticipated.

>219 Busifer: Thumbs duly held on your behalf.

Good luck!

Wishing you well with new job, and that it's relaxing enough to find some reading space too, once you've settled in. Although if it's anything like any of my (not many) moves, you spend the first week or more just reading and signing procedures documents, assessments and forms, and have no wish to look at another word anywhere.

>222 reading_fox: I expect this to be much like that. My move will transport me into the world of government, and I've come to understand that the onboarding process will be quite thorough. To say the least.

Just as a side note it's interesting to read a book originally published in 1989, encountering phrases such as "Bosnia and Herzegovina, today part of Yugoslavia", and several other mentions of Yugoslavia, and the Soviet Union.

The book is The peace to end all peace, and as it's topic sets it in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, not really dealing with modern-day politics (yet, anyway), and in a region that has undergone some severe redrawing of borders during the past 200 years or so, it is not that off. It just feels weird!

>224 Busifer:
A British comedy film which is quite amusing is "The Mouse that Roared". Peter Sellers plays all the main roles.

It is about a tiny, English speaking principality in the heart of Europe. The economy is not doing well and the Prime Minister, who is the villain of the piece, realises that every nation that has gone to war with the United States of America has benefited from American money after the war to help it rebuild after the US won the war. With that in mind he declares war on the USA and sends the Game Keeper with a few soldiers, wearing chain-mail and armour, across the Atlantic in a trawler, to invade the US. They arrive in New York during a nuclear bomb drill and everyone has retreated underground for the duration; everyone except a somewhat scatty-brained nuclear scientist and his daughter. The invaders find the scientist and his daughter, and also the powerful nuclear device the scientist was working on. They take their captives and the bomb back to the principality, thus making the principality the most powerful nation in the world and scuppering the Prime Ministers plans.

I mention this because I had watched the film several times and it was only after the civil war in Yugoslavia that "Bosnia and Herzegovina" became known to me, and in "The Mouse that Roared" the ruler had been married to a prince from "Bosnia and Herzegovina".

>225 pgmcc: :D
I have a vague memory of that film, though a staple of my childhood and youth was Jaques Tati, rather than Peter Sellers; especially Mon Oncle, Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot, and Trafic.
I blame my mum for having watched Mon Oncle more times than I can count, leaving a lasting impression.

On Yugoslavia I feel weird every time I say "when I travelled by box car through what used to be Yugoslavia". I guess I should say "what is now Serbia" (though the box car part makes it feel like another century... wait, it was, just not a century ago!).
The part from Belgrade through present-day Northern Macedonia to Athens (via Thessaloniki) was also... epic, but for other reasons. This was during Milosevic's reign but well before the outbreak of the Yugoslav wars, not to mention the NATO bombings.

I think people tend to forget that we had a full scale war in the middle of Europe, for over 10 years. A lot of what passed between wwi and now, in that region, has bearing on the topic of my current read, thought it was published before anything of that had reached a critical tipping point.

Back in April I pre-ordered the next Foreigner-book: Divergence. Then a couple of days ago I started to note that other fans were starting to get theirs... and still no notice from the SF bookshop?!
Checked their inventory late last evening and sure enough my local branch had it listed as available. Not one to idly wait I earlier today took a walk to the shop, to check what was up. I left with a copy of the book, and so that's what I'll do now: put everything else on hold, and start reading.
It's worth getting soaked in the insistent drizzle. But it still irks me that I didn't get a notice (it has never before failed), and that the staff was so uninterested in uncovering what might had gone wrong.

On a not-book-related note I enjoy my new job, so far, but going from private sector and into national government is a change of pace even for me who have worked with huge governmental agencies for many years. Several things impresses me, though, and the over all feeling is a positive one. But until I get a new private laptop I'll not check in here that often. As per Swedish law all information that is stored or passed through a government-owned device belongs to the agency, and everything that belongs to the agency is a public record. Anyone has the right to demand access to all public records, at any time: it's one of our foundational laws and it trumfs most other laws, including the secrecy act and the data protection directive. It's not that I have any secrets as such, but I really want to keep work and my private life on separate devices.
Not that I think there's a huge risk of anyone wanting to get to my files - I do research, not governmental policy - but nevertheless I'd like to play it safe. Wouldn't want the pub to get mixed up with government affairs, eh ;-)

>227 Busifer: I am glad to hear that you are settling into a job that promises to be satisfying, and having some time for reading again.

You have been missed. I look forward to hearing more from you, when your Internet access situation is also settled.

>227 Busifer: The concerns about keeping the pub separate from any government scrutiny probably is wise. There might be concerns about the roombas representing a security risk. I do hope you get to enjoy Divergence in peace, although I can see why you'd be irked over the notification failure.

>229 jillmwo: Can't trust those Roombas. :o)

>227 Busifer: Hope you're enjoying the book!

*waves to anyone who happens to watch*

I still haven't solved the computer business, ie getting a private laptop where roombas can roam freely, and I miss the pub so much. But, I've also been swamped by work, just as I predicted, which is part of the reason that I've not solved the other issue yet: no time, and precious little energy left over when time is had.
I don't think the workload will lessen anytime soon, but I've reached a state were I at least might have some influence over how my time is spent, and on what.

Divergence was an enjoyable read, but like any book late in a series prior knowledge is needed to get anything out of it. It's more like the next installment in a long-running TV show than anything else.

I'm now reading Velocity weapon, but it's slow going, mainly based on me falling asleep way too early in the evenings due to exhaustion. That said I do very much enjoy my new job.

Still also reading A peace to end all peace. I guess it will stay on my bedside table until spring, given present reading speed: I fully expect to read it in snippets between the novels, not to mention a need to read quite extensively for work.

In-between I try to walk and listen to podcasts, a favourite is one from the national road administration, on our national railroads and their upkeep. I know, my family think I'm weird but I love them anyway ;-)

>231 Busifer: Glad you’re back again, even if only tentatively, and I hope the job is going well.

>232 haydninvienna: It is, but it is a lot to take in, and some days can only be described as draining, though in a positive way. I'm just now reaching a point were I switch from being entirely overwhelmed to acquiring a level of personal agency. It's only been four weeks, but some of my co-workers treat me as a) I've been there forever (and therefore have all the implicit knowledge needed to navigate whatever it is) and b) seems to expect me to be an instant agent of change (which I want to be, and can be, but not without being grounded in a solid understanding of the big picture... which takes some time to get).

Great to see you venturing into the pub for a visit. I hope you can get on top of your new job soon and get a non-work machine for posting. It always takes a while to find your feet in a new job.

I have a new Graduate starting next week and I have to prepare an induction programme for her arrival. Her first week is corporate induction and she joins me, virtually, on Monday 12th. My objective is to get so much material ready for her that she will be busy for weeks. :-)

Have a great weekend.

>234 pgmcc: Thanks, I expect I will, and the same to you.

I expect to be out walking, to make up for my extremely sedentary life this past week and a half: before that I took my bike - non-electric bicycle - into the office at least three times a week (first week every day), but lately I've mainly worked long days from home.
Plus I'll read, as much as possible!

*waves back*

>231 Busifer: I’ve missed seeing your posts, but I’m happy to read that you’re starting to get more comfortable with your new job. Those new job learning curves can be rough. Even if you know everything else, there’s still a lot of business logic to learn.

>231 Busifer: I'm glad all seems to be going well, and you're able to grab some reading & walking time.

>231 Busifer: Work environments appear to be like that at the moment. I know my shop is on a hiring freeze so everyone is doing a little bit of everyone else's job to help out (even without some of the basic familiarity necessary).

Take care of yourself, Busifer. The pub percolates and a warm welcome will be waiting for you when you can find time to return.

I really didn't expect to be away for so long, but finally I'm on my private laptop, plus I'm slowly starting to get on top of work (knock on wood, for sure) enough to be able to tell "no" to certain things. On the other hand I'm starting to get a good idea how I could contribute for real, which in itself will take some work to accomplish.

All in all I've done loads of reading but all of it for work: I'm doing a research project, together with a colleague, and I decided we should start with a thorough inventory of what had come before/studies others had done that touched on our subject. Apparently this is not how they usually do things at this place, but I think it is a waste of time and resources to always start from a blank sheet.
Luckily everyone else seems to agree with this.

While work has gone well the situation with my dad has gone the other way. This is only to be expected but it is one thing to know something intellectually and another thing when it hits you straight in your emotional core. And some 10 days ago it did, and I just... I was literally bringing the laptop online to get in here when my mum called to tell me that dad was now in a palliative care home. I decided I had to tell my team leader, and the colleague that I do the research project with, and some more people, too, because I realized there was a huge risk that my productivity at work would be affected. Thankfully everyone has been very understanding. But I definitely lost the energy needed to dip into the pub.

One of the hard things is dad has decided that he don't want anyone but mum to visit, and mum has decided - rightfully so, I think - to honour what is practically his dying wish: he don't do well with strong emotions and fears the feelings of what would be a last goodbye.
What really made things hit home for me, though, was when mum asked me to help out with the practicalities once he's gone.

Meanwhile, this damned pandemic. Enough said.

Now I'm on to the task of trying to catch up with all threads. Not sure I'll manage, several of you have been prolific ;-)

>240 Busifer: So difficult. I am with you in thoughts. Take care of yourself and be easy on yourself, you will need grace these next few months. Both for your mom, yourself and your family. *Hug*

>240 Busifer: I don't know what to say, Pella. I had just been wondering how your dad was doing, and whether it has become more possible to visit... Hang in there. As you said, your mum is going to need your support.

>241 MrsLee: Thank you. One would think death would become easier to handle with time, but I find that it's the opposite. I've been semi-prepared for dad to leave us ever since he had his stroke, all those years ago. Turns out that doesn't change a thing.

>242 -pilgrim-: Thank you. Ten days ago I did not expect him to survive his 84th birthday, on this upcoming Wednesday. Now at least mum think he'll hang on for another couple of weeks. But that's were it's at, at the moment.
It will be a dire Yule, I'm sure.

ETA, had been thinking to add something to one of your threads but now you're here I'll just say that I've been thinking about you as well, been holding my thumbs for you. *hug*

>244 Busifer: Thank you too. *huge, supportive hug back*

Wishing you strength and solace. Here's a virtual hug and sympathy for a rotten situation.

>246 Bookmarque: Thank you.

>240 Busifer:
I am thinking of you. No matter how much you know about these things it does not make it any easier. I wish you strength for these difficult days.

>248 pgmcc: Very true, and thanks.
This too will pass, though right now it doesn't feel that way.

I too know that knowing doesn’t make it easier. More virtual hugs from me.

>240 Busifer: That's rough, not getting to see your dad another time. Sometimes I think that is one of the worst aspects of the pandemic... Hoping you and yours hold up together well and support each other in the times ahead.

>240 Busifer: Oh no :( Sending you strength during this trying time.

Sending you support, Pella.

Thanks, everyone.
Mum just called to tell that dad has changed his mind, so next up is trying to get there. It's a hefty ride from where I am, and we don't have a car down here in the city (it's in a garage 960 km north of my present location) so right now I'm unsure how to get there, given the new strong restrictions.
But at least now I get to see him again, which feels good.

>254 Busifer: That is excellent news!

>240 Busifer:, >254 Busifer: I hope you will be able to travel safely to see your father. I will be thinking of you and your family at this very difficult time.

>256 Sakerfalcon: Thank you. We are under orders to stay home, to stop a second wave, but hopefully I'll be able to arrange something.

>254 Busifer: That's a very difficult situation, but I hope you will get to arrange a visit.

No reading to report, though I'm presently reading Velocity weapon, which I this far find so and so: nothing so far has really dragging me into the story. That, otoh, could be because I've other things on my mind.

Today I managed to visit my father. I'll skip the details, but it was good to get to see him, despite him (naturally) being in a real bad shape.
Had a good long talk with mum afterwards, as well. The care home only allow two visitors per 24 hour, per patient, so when I went with my sister mum couldn't come, too.
My sister - who drove us there - was in a bit of a hurry, so the stay was shorter than I'd wanted it to be, but at least we had a couple of hours. I'll try to visit him again next weekend, as well. It is too far out of the city for me being able to get there within visiting hours on weekdays, after work.

>259 Busifer: That is a little bit of really good news in a overall really awful situation.

>259 Busifer: I'm glad you got to see your father and talk with your mum. I hope you'll be able to see them again soon.

Thank you, both.

I speak regularly with mum, but dad has motor issues with forming words, not to mention he didn't like talking on the phone even before this so I hadn't spoken with him since, well, before all this (waves around at the pandemic, in an irritated way).

Contagion is on the rise again, after almost vanishing over summer, so I really don't think I'll be able to arrange another visit with dad, nor will I see mum until the danger is over. Which, as we all know, might be a while.
I hope I'm wrong, though, but I'm not betting on it.

Meanwhile I started on the Good Omens audiobook today. I take a walk over lunch break every day and I had nothing in my podcast queue while also feeling like I needed some serious comfort "reading". Good Omens has been on my favourites list ever since I first read it, but it's been ages since I last reread it: probably long before I first became a member of the pub, so 14 years (!!!) at least.
I was a bit worried about how the narrator would handle the footnotes, but so far so good ;-)

Best wishes for family, it's all we can do at the moment. At least there's hope of a vaccine, which will help at a population level, if not necessarily at a personal one.

How does an audio book cope with footnotes?

>259 Busifer:

I am glad you got to see your father. I cannot imagine how it is to be going through a difficult time like this during a pandemic.

On the book side you have put temptation away from me. I had been inching towards Velocity Weapon but your comment has stopped the inching...for the moment.

>263 reading_fox: The narrator says "footnote", and then proceeds to read it. It's hard to know when the footnote ends and the text proper resumes, but so far that has not interfered with the story.
(I did not remember that demon Crowley was responsible for the creation of Manchester, though. I guess that was based on the historical versions of the city, and perhaps parts of it - the north? - was quite rough even in the late 80's, when the book was written?)

I'm holding my thumbs for a vaccine but I am content in holding out and keeping to myself until then. As a price for staying alive, for keeping others alive, and for keeping myself and others out of the hospitals, it's entirely manageable.

Edited to add comment reference. That's what I get for taking too long time writing my replies ;-)

>264 pgmcc: Reviews seems to go both ways, and I'm sure it will pick up speed eventually. This far it seems a bit too clever for it's own good and no protagonist (or antagonist) likeable or interesting enough to drive the story.

>266 Busifer: That is not helping it. :-)

>265 Busifer:

I did not remember that demon Crowley was responsible for the creation of Manchester, though. I guess that was based on the historical versions of the city, and perhaps parts of it - the north? - was quite rough even in the late 80's,

It was still pretty rough in the early nineties, once you were out of the tarted up centre.

I remember a friend who moved there about that time being burgled. She got home from work over day to be told by the neighbours that she had been. They knew that, because they had watched the perpetrators run down the street with her TV and other belongings in their arms. No one had called the police of course; they did not want to anger the lads' families...

That district of Manchester is still quite a deprived area, even now.

>268 -pilgrim-: Still, singling Manchester out when there's so many cities and towns to chose from seems personal ;-)

>269 Busifer: Maybe, but Manchester DID have a reputation back then.

How it has revitalised, and changed its image, is really quite impressive.

> 269, >270 -pilgrim-: Good Omens also takes a potshot at Milton Keynes as I recall!

>271 Sakerfalcon: Well, at least The Concrete Jungle in The Atrocity Archives makes good use of Milton Keynes' most famous feature...

>272 -pilgrim-: Oh yes!

>271 Sakerfalcon: Yes it does, in the very same paragraph ;-)

>270 -pilgrim-: Quite a few cities has managed to make a shift much like that. The Amsterdam I last visited (OK, 4 years ago, but still) is very far from the Amsterdam I remember from the early 90's.
I spy a correlation with need for tourist money, to compensate for most of almost every other industry moving overseas. Something that isn't entirely a good thing, now when corona has put a halt on leisure travel.

On Thursday evening my father passed away. Mum was with him, and it was very peaceful. We're in lockdown mode, but everyone seems to cope. I'm trying to help mum with everything she might need, but at the moment she gets the majority of her support from her brothers. They have always been very close, even when they have lived far from each other, and now every time I try to reach mum on her phone she's talking to one of them already.
We'll have to see how we'll do with the funeral. Dad was absolutely allergic to funerals and explicitly told everyone that he didn't want one. But we're now talking about a small memorial service, to get closure.

It is also a super-hectic period at work. My role means I'm expected be part of the budgeting process (or, rather, the role I'm taking on on the new year is, but that's details...) but yesterday I had to tell my colleagues that I could not possibly work into Friday night. I had not planned to tell them about the passing of my dad, I'm truly bad at handling other people having feelings about something that is private to me, and I do know that technically no one of them can force me to work overtime and so I don't need to provide reasons. But. What they asked of me would normally be something that I'd volunteer to do, and so I felt pressed to tell. They were very understanding, as I knew they would, but I still rather had kept it to myself.

As you can probably see reading is on the back burner. But the family is trying to get through Babylon 5, as we've made a promise not to watch The Mandalorian before we finish B5.
It was easy enough during summer, when we could watch 2-3 episodes each night. But when we were all back to work and school viewings has been far between. Also, season 4 is not as engaging as seasons 1-3. But, we're more than half-way through season 4 now, so there's that. And I enjoy recognizing people from other shows. Last night there was a Minbar whose face I thought of as "the corny Nazi", and as it turned out it was Lieutenant Gruber from 'Allo 'Allo ;-)
Also, Bryan Cranston as a Ranger sacrificing himself in the war against the Shadows.
We will get through the show, we truly will. Just not as fast as I originally imagined.

>275 Busifer:
My condolences, Busifer. It is never an easy time and the lockdown only magnifies the pain. I will be thinking of you.

Was “Allo Allo” liked in Sweden? I have a french friend who loves it.

>276 pgmcc: Thank you.

'Allo 'Allo was liked, enough for it to be part of popular culture even though it hasn't been on air for a long time.
"Listen carefully, I shall say this only once." ;-)

I see you don't like the feelings from others, so I'll be brief. I am sorry that it's a painful time, but hope you can concentrate on happy memories (which it's evident you have) and get through. My condolences.

>275 Busifer: it seems to me like he made a good end. Blessings to you all, and I wish you whatever strength you need.

>278 Bookmarque: >279 haydninvienna: Thank you, both. He had a good end, all things considering.

As to the situation re feelings it's OK here, or I wouldn't had said something, but at work... feelings I can take, so I'll try to restate: I don't deal well with feeling like I'm being pitied, whether the sentiment is meant as pity or not. I didn't want them to tiptoe around me, or have to manage expectations that I should be at home crying.

Each of us handle situations like this in a different way. I miss my father sorely, but I'm also glad that his suffering has ended. So, sometimes I feel sad, and I'd lie if I said that I sleep well, but mainly life goes on, and I have to help mum arrange the practicalities.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Busifer. Even though it was peaceful and expected, it's never easy. Funerals are for the living, so I think you and your family should plan whatever gives you comfort and closure.

>275 Busifer: I’m very sorry about your father.

Sending you virtual hugs. I hope you'll do whatever you need to take care of yourself and your mum.

>275 Busifer: Sorry about your father, but it's good to hear that your mum has close family to support her.

>275 Busifer: I am so sorry. My condolences.

>275 Busifer: My condolences, so sorry about your father. Sending virtual hugs.

>275 Busifer: Courage and strength to you my friend.

I attended the graveside service for my friend today. Her urn was placed beside her husband's. It was invite only, about 15 people. There were no speakers, no preaching. Total silence except for some muffled crying. After, we gathered at her home to visit a little, mostly outside. The weather cooperated with warmth enough that her two and a half year old granddaughter was running around naked on the lawn with the 5 dogs! My friend would have loved it. However you chose to remember your father, I hope it will be a healing time for you.

>275 Busifer: There are no adequate words. Many virtual hugs.

>275 Busifer: My condolences to you and your family.

Thank you, all. These are trying times.

>287 MrsLee: That is much like what I think we will do for dad.

Virtual hugs from here too. Take care of yourself and let your family help take care of you too - from OtherHalf's experience it's an odd time, creeps up on you at unexpected places, and you just have to acknowledge that you won't be yourself all the time. Especially for a busy work period, it's not just this weekend that will be effected. Everyone's different of course.

I'm so sorry to hear of your father's passing. I hope that you are able to grieve in the way that suits you best. When my father died earlier this year I found it helped me to log in to work a few days later, much sooner than people expected, but that helped me to stay mentally balanced. I'm glad your mum is getting plenty of support, and that you and your family are spending time enjoying Babylon 5. Take care of yourself.

Thank you.

He felt it was time to go, and so he went. I am sad, and at times I get overwhelmed by melancholia. But I find that life do go on, and will continue, regardless, and so it goes.

The other day I finished listening to the "new" Audible version of Good Omens. I prefer reading it, but I did enjoy the listen: I was in need of a short (non-series) comfort listen that I could take with me on my walks, and this was perfect.

In other news I'm helping mum with getting a new computer, without being present. Everything is digital, and even more so now when everyone is expected to not see anyone except the people one live with. This includes the IRS and everything else she needs to handle due to dad's passing.
Her old laptop was already old 8 years ago when dad got his stroke and stopped being able to care about tech. And now it's so old she can't even upgrade to a modern web browser, meaning she's barred from just about everything.
She's pretty smart around tech, despite being a luddite by principle, so I'm sure she'll manage.
I just have no idea how she'll be able to order and pay when she only ever uses cash (see reasons for being a luddite...). But so far so good.

So very sorry to learn of your loss, Busifer. As you note, this pandemic has robbed us all of so much. (((Hugs)))

I'm so sorry for your loss. Belated hugs and wishes for strength and peace.

I am so sorry to read your news about your fathe, and to be sending my good wishes so late. (My habit of catching up from the to down meant I missed your thread in my brief forays here.)

I am glad that, despite your hectic work, you find time to relax together as a family.

May your father rest in peace, and I hope you are all able to draw strength from each other.

Thanks, all.

I've been absent for a while, thought maybe coming down with a head cold and a fever would lend itself to some online socializing but instead I was flat out rewatching Broadchurch. Been back to work for week by now but lots of things to catch up with.

Also, mum's email has ceased to work (provider stuff, nothing to do there) and so I've had to help her out with some administrative stuff. She's a staunch and proper Luddite, absolutely won't use her smartphone for surfing or email (she only turns it on when she needs to call someone, else it's off). Says all these electronics is what will push this planet into its destruction, she's sure we'll have an epic and global fail within the next 10-20 years were electricity will cease, money will be void as it's no longer possible to access the accounts, and so on.
Meanwhile, during the pandemic all business has turned to the internet, and here I am. She dictates the emails she would had sent and I absolutely cannot send what she writes, so have to compose new texts. She starts her emails to my dad's overseas business contacts with stating the place and date, and then opens them with "Dear Sir". Her English is straight out of the Victorian era, but I cannot face telling her that. Not at this time.

I will check in at the pub intermittently, I miss you all, a lot, but really am not up to it, at the moment.

>298 Busifer: Great to hear from you. Big hugs!

>298 Busifer: Massive hugs from me as well. We'll still be here when you have the time and you're in a better frame of mind.

>298 Busifer: Lots of hugs and sympathy from me too.

I am finding the "switch business to email" very problematic too. My phone was broken, and trying to replace it when all shops were shut for the lockdown was difficult; I managed to replace it during a brief lifting of restrictions, but the new one was immediately spam attacked before I could get its security updates done, and now keeps crashing, so I am without a phone again. Trying to get gaps in chemotherapy (so that I can travel to shops) and the lifting of lockdown restrictions (so that I can enter shops) is proving almost impossible, so I have been spending much of my time without one. (I have only been able to get online because of friends lending me theirs - but with strict instructions that I do not do anything personally identifiable over it, so I cannot use it for email, etc.)

This switch to email only business requires the maintenance of electronic facilities that are not necessarily the norm for people whose home is not usually an office environment. And having the necessary engineers in to install such facilities is hardly something one would wish to do in an immunocompromised household during a pandemic.

It undoubtedly makes things easier for a commercial point of view, as it is much cheaper than providing workers with appropriate safety. But it is at the cost of forcing the more vulnerable sections of the community - the elderly and those with chronic health conditions, who are less likely to be running home offices already - out to less safe environments, such as Internet cafés, or to outsource their affairs, which they would otherwise be capable of handling themselves, onto beleaguered relatives, such as yourself.

So part of the population is forced into inaction, whilst those who CAN work from home have an additional workload of providing such support.

(I don't have family, so I expect a lot of nasty surprises, when I finally get back email access.)

The situation suits only a few, and causes problems for many.

Don't feel that you are alone in this.

>298 Busifer: Sending you hugs and best wishes for the winter. I hope you can treat yourself to some comforting things.

>298 Busifer: Pandemic life is demanding that we all learn new navigational skills like the ones you're learning as you assist your mum with her needs. (((Hugs))) Be patient with yourself these next few months. It is going to take time, but I am sure that we will see our way through to the end of the dark days.