Friday 27 October 2023
I’m trialling an oil-filled radiator in my office instead of a small fan heater. Outside it’s raining, it’s chilly and it’s not even 09:00. I am also poised to try and print a draft of my manuscript. Our printer has not been working, indeed has never really been much good (it’s only a few months old). The likelihood of even the first fifty pages in paper form is slim to non-existent. Is there anyone out there who has never had a bad experience with printers? To me, that is impossible; I have lost days of my life to printers.
I went to Glasgow yesterday by train from Lockerbie. It’s pretty much two hours door to door and miraculously both my trains were on time. I went because I wanted a city-buzz fix, to go to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and to walk around a city, which genuinely is an activity I massively enjoy. I had a good coffee, I spent time in a large bookshop, I had curry and naan for lunch, I bought fancy bread and not-available-in-supermarkets Indian ingredients and I walked about 20,000 steps. I had a great day. The art gallery, however, was a massive disappointment as it was closed due to industrial action. I had no idea. So I carried on walking into the University of Glasgow campus and walked around the Hunterian Art Gallery. It was quite small, free, not at all busy and I liked a lot of the art. I also really enjoyed walking around that area, I had no idea the university was so interesting and Harry Pottery. I walked back through Kelvingrove Park, which made me feel happy in spite of the drizzle; great autumn colours and I love a hilly park with lots of trees.
I arrived home after a quick food shop in Lockerbie, shortly before it got dark. I always enjoy and appreciate the enormous difference between city and our house and area. My love of both extremes has remained a constant over the whole eleven months of living here.
I know that as soon as I stop writing here, I’m going to have to start addressing the printer issues. I am so not in the mood to waste a chunk of this morning trying to get the stupid printer to work (it is not just a matter of my incompetence). I think a coffee is in order.