Monday — A very slow day at the office. Thank goodness I have to leave early to meet the electrician, who’s coming over to look at the dodgy stovetop. Regarding said stovetop, it will indeed need to be replaced. I wish these things had been checked before we moved in…

Tuesday — Lazy day today. Was meant to be somewhere else early in the morning but plans changed at the last minute, so I had a much-needed lie-on instead.

It’s also a day to catch up on unwatched TV, and get back on the stationary bike. Every now and then I hop online to track my Kindle through the UPS network, from Nevada to Cologne. I go to bed assuming it’s on its way to Dublin.

Wednesday — I spend the morning freaking out. After calling UPS just to make sure the driver can find our apartment, they tell me I’m expected to pay €30-plus extra in charges for customs clearance. But I already paid an import fee deposit to Amazon when I bought the bloody thing in the first place!

I get straight on the phone to Amazon, who are actually very helpful about the whole thing: I’m assured I don’t have to pay another cent, and when the UPS guy shows up an hour or so later, I sign for the box without any mention of it. I’m annoyed that it cost me €7 in phone credit to get all that sorted out.

The Kindle is lovely, by the way. Of course I’ll need a few days to get used to it, and find stuff to put on it. And I’ve got a sleeve coming in the post so I can take it out of the house without fear of scratching the screen. But first impressions are positive.

Thursday — Another early morning planned, but plans change again. Tomorrow!

Productive afternoon at the office for a change. I work through lunch to get home earlier, and I’m glad I did at the end of the day. The evenings are getting so dark now… it’ll get even more depressing when the clocks change next week.

Homemade burgers for dinner, and an early night. I always rest easier feeling like I’ve achieved something, however small that thing might be.

Friday — Another productive day at work. Then an hour on the bus home for dinner before I head back into town for the Swans gig in Temple Bar.

On the bus I suddenly realise: I’ve forgotten my earplugs! Disaster! But Boots on Grafton St comes to the rescue. In any case, they’re the only ones who seem to stock the bloody things. There’s a lesson in there somewhere.

The Swans show is great, by the way. And what a mean-looking bunch of dudes they are, too: the pedal steel/zither player looks like an evil Ron Mael, if you can imagine that.

Of course there’s the usual hipster element in the crowd, yap-yap-yapping away through the quiet bits   like, hello? The band didn’t lower the volume just so you can have a chat with your silly mates!   but by the end Michael Gira has everyone in the palm of his hand. It was quite something.

Saturday/Sunday — Lazy Saturday, nothing to note. Sunday is busier: there’s sport on the telly – Formula 1 (boring) and UFC (better) – and I have a desk that needs assembling. The latter took over an hour, but you wouldn’t know to look at it.

Then it’s time for movie night: to make up for not going to the Horrorthon this year, we fire up the Enormotron for a double bill of The Night of the Hunter and Ed Wood. The first I’d never seen before, and I’m glad I could correct that; it’s a great expressionist Southern noir. And I’d forgotten how good Ed Wood is – it’s Tim Burton’s best by far.

Mon 25 Oct 2010 at 18:59   ·