Saturday, July 20, 2013

Distracted (or, why I have not been knitting)

I spent all of last summer claiming I wanted to live in a yurt in Spain, where it would be hot all the time and I wouldn't get rained on AT ALL. I have pretty much changed my mind about that after these weeks of enormously high temperatures (for the UK) which have pretty much made me hide in the curtained house (if I haven't had to go to work, where it is, at least nominally, air conditioned) from the great fire ball in the sky. I'm just not cut out for it, with my northern genes and fair skin.

So that's stopped me knitting, certainly on  the Very Warm Shetland Wool cardigan. I did a few desultory chains on the Totally Kitsch Crochet Blanket the other day, but I could tell my heart wasn't in it.

And it turns you do have to concentrate on the very involved language and excellent swearing in Deadwood (my current DVD of choice) to have any idea of what's going on - usually some throat cutting, drinking, whoring and laudanum/guilt induced angst. It's very distracting. That and the need to join in with the on-screen whisky drinking.

I even got out the strange but lovely scarf, as despite it's strangeness it is a) smallish b) quite easy once you get going. But then I also found a good online bass guitar course (like teachers of same, like hens teeth!) and I've had this Ibanez since February, so I really need to get going (isn't it lovely?):

Drum kit, I must point out, belongs to small boy

So far I've discovered my left hand isn't as large as I thought, but I have a pretty good sense of rhythm (even if I find it hard to spell). It's hard, but is anything worth doing that isn't a bit hard...? As I am at the - let's be honest - slightly dull stage of learning to play a thing with strings, I've also been melodeoning a bit more than usual, to help it along.

I'm also blaming Bruce Springsteen, who we went to see on June 20th in Coventry (we like a glamourous venue).

My ticket. I don't usually keep them.
 It's been very distracting,  buying loads of CDs...

Some way to go... I know
...reading reviews of every gig and looking at YouTube (did find the BBC 4 Seeger Sessions Concert there, in full, marvellous!); spending more hours than necessary to wondering if there was any chance of getting to Hard Rock Calling (no), Cardiff? (no, again) or Leeds - where my brother lives, possible free overnight accomodation - £1,400 a ticket they were going for, so, no no no; researching how in the hell you get to the front if when we ever go again (answer: there's a very involved queueing and check in system, which I thought sounded a bit crackers at first but I Might Be Coming Around To) .

I don't know why I get a bit obsessed like this about things *eyes giant dune of yarn and fleece,  2 bass guitars, 4 melodeons, huge CD collection* but I suppose it's better than being disinterested. Which is why this initially reluctant cycle commuter is now facing the prospect of an 80+ mile bike ride to Glastonbury on August Bank Holiday...I should probably train a bit.

And when the temperature drops, I'll start back on the knitting. I hope I've written stuff down...