Getting Your Math Wrong, or That Bookcase is Heavier Than It Looks

A True Story*

About a week before The Strain of Evil struck, I decided on the spur of the moment that my bookcases and living area needed to be rearranged. This sounds easy enough; except that one of the bookcases I decided to move was on the second floor. But, I got out the measuring tape (see, at least I made sure everything would fit first) and saw that my plan would work perfectly.

With furniture polish in one hand, I started unpacking bookcase 1 – which I also managed to move easily into its new place. After a cup of tea I went upstairs and braced myself for The Unpacking of Bookcase Two. The shelves contained classics (in the sense of Austen and Dickens), some of my textbooks and books I’ll call “Miscellaneous”.  After a quick dusting of the wooden shelves, I started to maneuver it towards the staircase. And managed to get it down two steps (of sixteen) before it got stuck. Tilting it a bit, it slid down two more and I suddenly became very aware that the weight and momentum it had at this angle was much more than I had anticipated. And I was stuck, unable to haul it back up or to carry it down. 

I then did the intelligent thing and went to call a neighbour to help. Only… I didn’t. Because I couldn’t let go of the bookcase. At. All. Let’s just say I ended up sitting crushed next to the thing, sliding down one step at a time and holding on for dear life. With my cat watching me and laughing. Of course it then also got stuck on the last two steps which turn the corner (and which I had left out of my brilliant calculations). But, being a stoere boeremeisie, I at last got it past the stairs, into an upright position and in its new place against the wall without any crushed fingers or toes.

I am very thankful my cat can’t operate my cell, or I’d probably have a whole video of the experience to share with the world. And, yes, this did come to mind more than once – shouldn’t TV be educational?

*But with exclamations and internal dialogue removed. Feel free to add them as you see fit while reading this adventure. 

All the Small Things

The large tree in my garden (although, in truth, the tree just about makes up the whole garden) seemed to have turned yellow overnight. Trees decked in yellow, red and brown line most of the streets to and from the office and crisp mornings are quickly turning cold. I admit, the two seasons I love most are Autumn and Spring. Not too cold, not too hot – and I’ll just leave it there before I start sounding like a fairy tale.

My "Autumn Tree"

Shortening days are usually also the time when the passing of time between New Year and Easter and Easter and my birthday*† becomes all the more apparent. By this time those careful plans written out at the beginning of the year have most been left half-done or thrown out because there just isn’t enough time in a day to go around.

It’s those little unplanned things...

You make your New Year’s list of No-These-Aren’t-Really-Resolutions thinking that the worst coming your way is a bout of flu or a new pair of glasses and then you end up on crutches for over a month and suddenly realise again how lovely it is to be able to climb a flight of stairs while carrying a cup of tea. Your flu turns to infections leaving you on drips and too fatigued to concentrate on your studies after a day of work.

But you also meet new people, make new friends and in the dark hours find a hand to hold on to, even if that hand is on another continent.

So, all in all, the first four months of the year have been, at the very least, very interesting. And the next four? New beginnings, a very good friend getting married, some friends’ babies are due during the winter (though not the friend getting married) as well as “more of the same” as I try to catch up with all the study time I missed during the past few weeks**.

*The few days afterwards usually spent in constant existential crisis – which most often leads to eating more cake than is healthy.

† My birthday is halfway through the year.

** Yay for study leave!!

Perspective

The downside of planning posts beforehand is that there are some weeks where so much other STUFF happens that you get struck once more by just how much can happen in one week. Last Tuesday I switched on the radio just as I turned off my alarm clock; just in time to hear the words “two bombs exploded” – then an earthquake, flooding, one of the lecturers at UJ (myalma mater) murdered, and some very sad news from a friend. This has certainly been a week in which my heart and prayers have gone out to all those who have been touched by these events.

Of Flu, the Strain of Evil, and Writing Stuff

At least I didn't need a Plague Doctor

I was fortunate enough to be one of the people at the office stricken with a bout of flu two weeks ago. Or so I thought. Won’t go into details, but I am feeling much better now after taking a lovely trip over the weekend to the clinic, getting a few drips and passing out for a few hours. At least now I don’t feel like people who pass me should be carrying posies. Or that I should carry a clapper wherever I go. So whoohoo for modern medicine!

As I spent most of the previous weekend either passed out to sleep off the Strain of Evil or watching NCIS through bleary eyes, I did not get much done in the way of studying. Or tidying away the books I had started to rearrange before the Strain of Evil struck. (No I wasn’t procrastinating; I was simply making certain books more easily accessible. And the shelves needed dusting. So there.) 

But I am glad to say, that most books are now dusted and rearranged in a way which is probably only logical to me, and I am ready and of sound enough mind to actually work on my studies again. Yay! 

Which also brings me to Writing Stuff

 I’ve been toying around with an idea for another “speculative linguistics” article (some others can be found over here) and then a few days ago*, while brushing teeth, the opening paragraph suddenly jumped into my brain unannounced. Yes, I did make a run for my notebook… And there will be graphs, endless footnotes and much laughter.

Along with the article I’m also pottering around with a few flash pieces. One which I am especially enamoured with at the moment was inspired by an artwork for the Firebird legend and by reading a few pages in The Golden Bough. Now, if I can only find that artwork again. I may have to raid my poor sister’s memory.

Forthcoming Attractions:

Twitter wars  debates – Yes, I sometimes tweet about stuff other than books and archaeology. Like sexism. And bra sizes. And, sometimes, I want to write about it as well.

*This may have had something to do with a high fever. Thank you, kind muse...