I had the usual lessons at primary school, but at the end of those myself and one other in the class still couldn’t swim. In the half century since then I have never found the need or the desire to try again.

Film

• Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974) - An early Scorsese very much of its time. Ellen Burstyn’s performance holds up well, but it is difficult to find much else of enduring value in this one today - other than a portrait of the times.
• Moana 2 (2024) - Entertaining and wholesome enough, but adding nothing new.
• Minikillers (1969) - a short film without dialogue starring Diana Rigg immediately following her role in The Avengers tv show, and playing on her Mrs. Peel character: pitting her against a criminal gang that uses killer dolls. Rigg shines, and there are a couple of Avengers-like moments, but this is largely a curiosity for fans.

TV

• Miles From Nowhere - kiwi Moslem comedy not a million miles from We Are Lady Parts.
• Whiskey on the Rocks - Swedish satire based on an incident with a soviet submarine in the '80s. The first episode was great, but not sure whether it will hold up.
• Thou Shalt Not Steal - excellent aussie comedy that improves with each episode.
• Obituary - Irish dramady with a cold-case mystery underneath, Siobhán Cullen puts in a fine performance.

I have always read, but it is only in the last decade or so - prompted by the internet, of course - that have thought about counting the books that I do read. Since then, the lowest in a year has been around 6 (an extremely busy year) and the highest around 60. A normal year is probably closer to the latter than the former. I am half way through my 3rd book so far this year.

However, just at the moment I am reading that book - Consider Phlebas - partly as e-book and partly as an audiobook, depending on where I am and what I am doing. Does that count? I am finding myself doing this more often lately.

No, nothing like that really. Sure, my body was running on serotonin after a while so I was probably unduly relaxed and positive, but nothing like hallucinations or anything. When I found that that the no-sleep record was only 3 days longer than I had gone, I was a bit surprised, since it hadn’t really seemed that hard so far, but I am sure that I would have experienced something more serious before long.

No. I had nothing much going on for a while and just randomly decided to see what it would be like. Yes, it was ‘unusual’, but ‘unusual’ has been quite common for me over the years one way or another.

It was some time after this that I discovered what the record for not sleeping was at the time (around 10 days as I recall). It is probably just as well that I did not know that at the time, or I would have tried to beat it - not that I was being supervised or anything, so it wouldn’t have counted, but…

When I was around 16 or so I decided not to sleep or eat for a week, which I did - so it would be that.

I was fine, overall, but did get some leg cramps when I cycled 12 miles on the last day. I had no great desire to eat at the end - that had faded over the week, really, but it came back pretty soon once I did actually get something down.

Of course, it is a very different thing if you decide not to eat, and have no particular stresses or anything going on to being deprived of food.

No - I have worn moccasins around the house, at least in the winter, since I was a kid and make-them-yourself kits were in fashion back in the '70s. No idea how many pairs I have had since then.

Moccasins.

In real life meeting most of the value is in the informal side chats that you have just before or just after, in my experience. Unfortunately that basically doesn’t happen in virtual meetings, so I join dead on time, or a minute or two in for larger ones.

In my case this would something from the '60s and '70s in the UK then - and I suppose that stop-motion in The Clangers or Bagpuss etc wouldn’t really count, so probably between the gentle, character-based storytelling of Ivor the Engine (and that is a cut-out animation - but I’d think still qualifies) and the surrealism, punning and energy of Roobarb (and Custard).

The honey went on after.

My SOs homemade pizza this evening with goats cheese, 'nduja and a drizzle of honey.

We don’t do Christmas, but had friends over for solstice pizzas. My wife announced a ‘no politics’ rule at the outset - not because of likely arguments, but just because it can get very repetitive and depressing.

It was a cosy and enjoyable evening after that - as they usually are.

Back a long way when I was living with my family we didn’t talk about politics anyway: partly since it was widely understood that one didn’t, but mostly since none of them were consciously political anyway. Christmas meals were generally free of arguments in general. The only point of contention was the mysterious presents that appeared for the children that actually came from dad’s side of the family - with whom he had long-since fallen out and dropped all contact - and that consequently had to be disguised or kept under the radar one way or another. That didn’t always work.

I read the original Conan tales a looooong while ago. Loved them and the de Camp ones, and the Bjorn Nyborg novel too. There are a lot of other writers that have added Conan tales, and I read a few at the time, but most were pretty mediocre. I’d stick with the early ones overall. This one was recommended on Lemmy a day or so back as having a good Lovecraftian vibe which is what attracted me. I’ll see how it goes.

I did know about the movie, and did start watching it at one point, but didn’t have chance to finish it. Maybe I will.

I celebrate the solstice, but today is just another day off as far as I am concerned. So just the usual stuff: had a lay in, played a bit of Forge of Empires, did a couple of chores, have just been reading (Confessions of a Justifed Sinner, Hyperion and just started Conan: City of the Dead), and will watch a couple of episodes of TV (Wolf Hall, Agatha All Along and Gatiss’ Ghost Story for Christmas Woman of Stone) with my wife this evening. She has been doing much the same, plus some yoga at the moment.

Pretty much the way it has gone with me. I don’t think that I have ever bought a wallet myself, nor requested one as a present, but nonetheless I have never had a shortage of them.

My current one does what I want it to, and has lasted for probably a decade or so so far. Still going strong too.

I have no great desire to be remembered. It is neither here nor there from my point of view. As to how people are likely to remember me, ‘quiet’ and ‘intelligent’ are two words that crop up a lot from people who I interact with casually or occasionally. Those who know be better would probably focus on my environmental and conservation work etc.

Related to that, due to the role that I played in stopping an area being sold for development and instead becoming designated as a nature reserve on one occasion, there is a meadow that is casually called after me by some people that I worked with. I suppose that I would be happy to be remembered as a meadow.

TV - our ‘regulars’ at the moment are: A Man On The Inside, What We Do In The Shadows, Silo, Lower Decks & Shrinking. The highlight of those this week was definitely the scene in Shrinking s02e06 with Alice & Louis. Extremely well done all round.

Otherwise on TV, we’ve just started the original Wolf Hall, which expects you to sit up and take notice, but rewards that no end (as it should with this cast, and the writing). And then there is Dune: Prophesy - which I am still unsure about, but still willing to see how it goes for another episode or two. Also looking forward to starting Black Doves and The Sticky.

Film - Beetlejuice Beetlejuice last weekend, which was a lot more fun than I expected, even if not outstanding, and then the 2015 Krampus on the 5th - Krampusnacht - which has become a bit of a tradition with us now, and remains enjoyable. Ten minutes after that finished, our power went out - no blizzard though.

I assume that the issue is doe to hard water from the borehole - and so limescale buildup, which can quickly kill heating elements.

I look after a few systems with this issue, and have installed water softeners to deal with it. There is some info here.

• I finally repaired the (probably 175 yr old) latch on the kitchen door. We can stop the draughts in the living room now. I had been putting it off, but it was easy in the end, and very satisfying.
• Beetlejuice Beetlejuice - not outstanding, but an enjoyable sequel. My wife enjoyed it a lot, so that made me happy.
• Progressively putting up the Brumalia decorations: I’m always happy with sparkly lights.