Legacies.

This is what today looks like - as predicted, it has rained non-stop. I really did miss my calling as a weather forecaster. Maybe I should look into that?

Adam apparently managed to offload our old TV unit onto some unsuspecting bargain hunter on Facebook. He was supposed to pick it up today but he turned out to be a no show so I've just wasted the day watching TV. How ironic. I'm now almost done with season 2 of Gilmore Girls - my life clearly needs evaluating.

I always whinge and whine, talking about how much I love total silence so you'd think that a day of pouring rain would have given me that. Well it did, however I've failed in doing any of the things that I reserve for peaceful days. I still have the rest of Marcel Proust's Swann's Way to get through (one of my life ambitions) but I constantly forget about it. When I do remember, I find myself putting it off for another day. Don't get me wrong, I love the writing style and fluid prose but 'In Search of Lost Time' is a completely different reading experience to what we are used to. It's almost like reading as an art form and love of words rather than to read because you want to know what happens. A completely alien concept to most of us, myself included.

Adam has been at work since 6am and I have no idea when he is home as he appears to be ignoring his phone. Not that it matters; I'm sure that my position on the sofa would remain unthreatened.

On a final note, I was devastated to hear that Richard Attenborough passed away yesterday. I recognise that he was no spring chicken but it seems like I've lost several links to my beloved childhood lately. First Robin Williams who was the focal point of almost all of my favourite childhood films (back when it was normal to regularly visit the cinema on a Sunday). Then came Lauren Bacall. Before you start to wonder whether I just look good for my age, I'm aware that she wasn't directly a part of my childhood but I will always have fond memories (though not so fond at the time) of my Dad watching back-to-back John Wayne films on Sunday afternoons. He was obsessed (hence my name), but of all the leading ladies, she will always stand out for me. They seemed to have a far deeper connection on screen and, in my opinion, you don't see that kind of raw chemistry on the screen any more.

And now Richard Attenborough. Frustratingly, I had to explain to Adam that no, he is not 'the wildlife' guy but as soon as I mentioned Jurassic Park, he knew exactly who I was talking about. I vividly remember Jurassic Park when it came out and although that silly old blockbuster film was only a drop in his ocean of talents, it is the one I connect with the most. It came at just the right time in my childhood and I unashamedly admit that I was indeed one of those children, running around the playground pretending to be a velociraptor. What I wouldn't give to go back to the simple life!

The passing of these stars that, in my mind seemed immortal, reinforces the fragility of life and it really does hit home that these are real people who have done real things and lived real lives - just like you and me. I guess I need to come up with some kind of legacy sooner rather than later. I mean I'd just hate to be remembered as 'the guy who watched the entire seven seasons of Gilmore Girls in the fastest time'. Urgh.

A relaxing Sunday.

The garden looked particularly colourful today. It isn't a huge backyard but it's ours, tended by our creative hands and I love it. It's just such a shame that we have to keep that awful netting over the raised bed on the left because the neighbourhood cats seem hellbent on using it as their personal litter tray. We had such big plans for it too.

Summer seems to be clinging on for dear life. I say Summer yet, in reality, the only sunny warm weather that we have experienced occurred way back in April and then again on and off for the past week or so. The actual duration of 'Summer' itself consisted of torrential Autumn-like downpours and clouds; lots and lots of clouds. I guess I shouldn't be surprised having lived here for the past 23 years but it still makes me insanely jealous reading your blogs and hearing about the tropical climates in the far reaches of Australia, Florida, Texas and Japan. One thing I do hold dear when it comes to the crazy Northern European weather is that you never quite know what you are going to get. At risk of completely crucifying a well loved Forrest Gump quote - life really is like a box of chocolates.

The fact that the topic of weather has crept stealthily into this blog post may provide the hint that I haven't really been up to much this weekend. Despite a lot of relaxation in preparation for a manic week of 12 hour days at work, all we've really done is watch films, do some housework and pop out occasionally to peruse a few local shops.

I came terrifyingly close to buying an iPad today during an impromptu trip to Curry's and if they hadn't known better, anyone would think that Adam was on their payroll. He already has an iPad of his own but he is constantly trying his best to guilt-trip me into treating myself. The trouble is, I'm one of those annoyingly practical people that has to find at least 5 valid, practical reasons before I can justify purchasing anything. Needless to say, after 20 minutes of umming and ahhing, I forced myself to leave before I made any hasty decisions. I love my Macbook and I also have an iPhone - I just can't think why I would ever need an iPad. Maybe I'm just stubborn? I prefer the term sensible.

The trip wasn't completely void of fruits though; I bought a laptop table to match the lounge furniture - something I've been meaning to get for a long, long time. There have many near misses in the past with my beloved Macbook balanced precariously on my knee so it's nice to now have a solid table top on which to scour the interwebs.

The ferrets (yes, I'm one of those people) came away with a new tunnel too. I'm constantly on the look out to find new things to keep them occupied; they're like hyperactive children, permanently moving from one thing to the next and it takes all of my effort just keeping them engaged. I attempted to teach them to beg earlier; Fez mastered it well though I soon gave up on Moomin - I think she has some kind of learning disorder...

Aside from my uneventful weekend, I'm having so much fun surfing around and discovering an abundance of new blogs. Like I say, I've posted a lot in the past in various guises but I've never really attempted to reach out and get involved properly. I've read so many posts over the past few days; happy, sad, anxious, informative, abstract, poetic and it has really helped to open my eyes. I've also received some extremely kind comments on a few of my own posts and I whole heartedly look forward to discovering more hidden gems.

I hope everyone has a nice, relaxing Sunday and that the start of the new week holds well.