Wayne passes on most of the messages that mention me, in case I wish
to initiate appropriate litigation.
Unfortunately some of you have been making kind comments, thus
robbing me of some entertainment in my declining years. How dare you!
I did spend some time in the desert - more than the regulation 30
days at least. Images on the pbase site (below). I put some writing
on the site too. I did not return with stone tablets or any solution
to the multitudinous problems of mankind. I decided that life is
purposeless, bewildering and confused - and learned to enjoy that.
Unfortunately I had some problems there. My knee failed as did the
subsequent arthroscopy for a torn meniscus.
And my travelling companion revealed himself to be not merely a
little eccentric as I had thought but a full-blown narcissitic
personality. Curmudgeons don't mix well with people who have no sense
of humour and suffer from the delusion that the world revolves around
their needs. Things got 'difficult'. And it was 'his' vehicle. I'd
have kept calm but he began to criticise my driving skills. No true
friend would ever do that. Eventually I just had to resign from his
fan club.
In early December I had a full knee replacement and so, like many
other celebrities, I spent a chunk of the Christmas break in rehab. -
with post-operative pain and severe sciatica. Things are slowly
returning to normal but now that I'm off the heavy prescription
drugs, I'm quite grumpy. Damn, I miss Oxycontin - only took me four
days to break that habit. Someone told me that you can't buy even
codeine over the counter in the States - no wonder you're all so
annoyed.
Retirement didn't work - the phone started ringing. I'm back to
teaching Philosophy part-time on my own terms and have been well
supplied with contract writing work. In fact I had to work from my
hospital bed to keep up - when one rather officious nurse demanded to
know what I thought I was doing working at 10pm, I pointed out that I
was "probably earning double what you are right now." Obviously the
opiates didn't dull me down too much but I did have to reread
everything after I got straight.
Why did i not return? Well, I almost never use an Oly anymore except
as a reviewer. Last one was a waterproof compact, the 725 Tough which
I though a bit too much of a handbag design. Fun though to write
about how it was also sandproof, beerproof and vomitproof. However I
did feel a pang of nostalgia when the school photographer showed up
last week with three E-1's. He likes them because they're bulletproof
and give good flesh tones.
ALERT - the above message is personal in character and make no
pretence to Oly relevance. Murkins should note that in addition to
proper English spelling rather than regional novelty dialect, it
contains several examples of irony which is a literary mode that you
may not fully understand or recognise. Attempts at retaliation by
snide references to my own errors and poor syntax will be met with
derision, contempt and a detailed and public discussion of your own
failings. Or references from Wittgenstein's Tractatus; whichever I
feel might be more damaging.
Andrew Fildes
afildes@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.pbase.com/afildes
==============================================
List usage info: http://www.zuikoholic.com
List nannies: olympusadmin@xxxxxxxxxx
==============================================
|