Greetings ‘kats. It’s that time again, when I regal you with recent tales of my epic exploits.

Alright calm down, it’s not going to be remotely that interesting. The ‘exploits’ involve little more than the cycle of work, work, and more work, albeit with one or two curiosities…

Work

The situation has reached the point where more furloughing has taken place, but I have avoided it. I can carry on coming to work, which gives me something to do. On the other hand, there’s not much to do once at work. That’s not to say there’s nothing to do (there’s always something), but it’s not as it should be. January is normal BIG WINTER SALE TIME, and yet it’s been quiet. We all know why, and it’s something we can’t do anything about, but that doesn’t stop it from being frustrating. Speaking of the pandemic…

100,000

On Tuesday 26th of January 2021 the UK passed an unwanted, tragic milestone. Over 100,000 people have now died as a result of Covid-19. So many of these deaths were avoidable, if we had a competent, compassionate government, rather than one led by a bumbling, uncaring clown. I have no idea when lockdown will end, but at the moment it means I have a couple of days each week of working on my own – normally unfathomable but in lockdown, manageable.

I keep reminding myself that I have a job, something Covid-19 and our useless leaders have taken from others. I have a home, a wife and daughter to come home to, and a family to turn to, whenever I need to. Not everyone has that, so there’s plenty to be grateful for. I have to remember that.

Writing

My re-write of The Awakening hasn’t been proceeding as quickly as it had, due to distractions, many of which I’ve brought upon myself. I have a Football Manager diary and I freely admit this is drawing a lot of my attention. It’s a means of entertainment and a relief from this world. That being said, my brain is still flowing with thoughts and ideas about Seluban and his mission, and there will come a moment where I will feel I can give the story the attention it deserves.

Lower Decks

At looooong last, Star Trek: Lower Decks, the animated series that debuted in the US last summer has finally hit UK shores. It’s energetic and filled with Easter Eggs, plus it has some instantly likeable characters. Mariner is fiesty and a little reckless, but also wants to do the right thing (just in her own way). Boimler is… he’s a classic geek, utterly committed to the rules. The pair tend to help each other through the very unusual situations they find themselves in! I’m not going to delve too much into it – you need to check it out for yourself.

Family Trees

My daughter asked (somewhat out of the blue) to learn more about her family history, particularly about the women in the family. To that end I’ve started to put together a family tree online, and it’s piqued my interest. My Grandad on my Dad’s side of the family led a fascinating life, serving in the Army and fighting in World War II. His own history is lost, due to early tragedy, though the possibility exists that records going further back are still out there.

My Nan had roots in Scotland, though she, like my Grandad, lived in East London. I’m ashamed to say that I don’t know as much of her history as I’d like. This project is a way to learn more, not only for my daughter’s interest but for my own.

My Mum’s parents both died before I was even an idea, which leads me to wonder, what’s worse, loving my grandparents and losing them, or never knowing them? What history is there of them? Another area of potentially emotional research to explore lies in that direction.

All of this, and then there’s my wife’s parents and the history behind them. Where will that lead? What will we learn? I don’t mind admitting to feeling a bit emotional as I go over family history. Those we have lost will live within us, forever.