I stitched the periodic table together from the BBC Look around you website it looks like: this- Look Around You Periodic Table. The colours alone bring you back to weird smelling chemistry labs, but the elements themselves are inspired.
The new Google Earth version has all the topographical info and the occasional 3D building. It’s like travelling the world all over again. Absolutely breathtaking,. It’s like air travel without the horrors of immigration awaiting you at the other end. They’ve still got to improve the resolution of Kingston, mind. maybe when the population hits 4 figures they’ll upgrade it…
I’ve just realised all my entries are looking very much the same as the ones exactly a year ago. This time last year I rang me nanny to wish her a happy St David’s Day. Can’t do that this year cos of the prohibitively expensive international calling rate. So mum, dad or bethan, could you pass on my nationalistic wishes, thanks. I spoke to nanny (and grandma) on Skype on Sunday though, so that’s a start. With the whole webcam/ video conferencing thing no less. The average age of a skype user definitely peaked that day…
The picture is me in me (old) manu chau t-shirt and goes in tandem with my cars that resemble where they’re parked Flickr set. Brits whose clothes resemble where they’re slouched…
Sita’s off to Tequila this avo and Arandas on Friday. I thought I’d be able to meet up somewhere with the tour but apparently not. She’s strangely apprehensive about the whole thing. Personally I’d love to do a 4 day tequila tasting but i suppose we’re just different in that regard… what else? erm…
Oh yeah, Pat’s become a new slave owner of a beautiful dog, Devlin. There’s some photos round K’s website. He looks like a character. Get him on Dogster and we’ll corral him with Atticus… or at least give him a bone. đ
Well, at least I’ve never been more prepared for a system breakdown than this time. Files backed up, settings, a handwritten list of programs to install… And (THANK YOU ANA!) a replacement computer lined up to boot. I really shouldn’t complain… I even remembered to backup my firefox saved password files. I’m probably going to invest in a decent amount of RAM for this computer though so it doesn’t get tied up during webdesignery. I’ll also have to find a USB lead to transfer my pix from now on.
Anyroad, now we’re off to the beach, Chacala it’s called. We’ve rented a house with a swimming pool for the weekend for the 7 of us (Set, Amy and Angeles are in tow also). And it’s allegedly only 4 hours away on toll roads. We’ve been wrong before though. Should be good.
Anyroad, thanks for your patience while posting’s been slow.
2020, eh? I don’t think I’m alone in calling it as not a particularly great one. Here’s hoping the new US administration can rejoin a few global accords to curb the worst effects of global heating, not screw up the vaccination programme, roll back all the anti-environment legislation, and generally make it so I don’t have to watch the news through the gaps between my fingers. Today’s Tribune reported:
Overall, there have been 283,473 counted cases of coronavirus in Utah, meaning about 1 in 11 Utah residents has tested positive for the virus since the pandemic began.
https://www.sltrib.com/news/health/2021/01/03/coronavirus-utah-state/
Which sounds about right given the damn-the-casualties and keep-everything-open policy Utah’s been pursuing since April. We’re really lucky to live somewhere with the wilderness practically on our doorstep, and able to work exclusively from home. Sarita’s sabbatical plans ( e.g. in-person interviews around the country ) were rather ruined but she moved her teaching online with characteristic panache and aplomb.
We survived earthquakes,
Never liked that tile mirror anyway, and it missed the emergency crate of wine #SLCEarthquake pic.twitter.com/qM4zIbr76K
— Gwyn (@gwynf) March 18, 2020
wind storms ( and attendant week without electricity / internet ),
Morning walk was an assault course #utwx pic.twitter.com/OdBzrWBvqa
— Gwyn (@gwynf) September 8, 2020
cancelled holidays, Coatsville Ave’s reconstruction, roof replacement, tooth extraction, crown replacements, root canals, unkempt hair experiments, and levels of political incompetence / malfeasance hitherto unseen. Oh and Utah voted in record numbers for trump and republicans down the rest of the ticket again. Ugh. Plus ça change, innit.
Life goes on though. We moved house, less than a mile down the road. It’s delightful, more so every day, and, once this whole pandemic thing blows over, ready for the mother of all housewarming parties. I no longer have to move my office around according to the seasons. Yesterday’s Welsh cake and empanada cooking was an exercise in ease thanks to having the space for proper mise en place with a kitchen island and everything. And it’s going to be fun seeing what grows in the garden once spring arrives.
This is the Spotify playlist I’ve been adding tracks to over the year, a mixture of new and resurfaced oldies:
No stand out albums this year, Grimes’ Miss Anthropocene was probably the one that grabbed me most. The Beths’ second LP was good but not as packed with bangers as Future me hates me. Likewise, Fiona Apple’s was more admirable than enjoyable. Asking Alexa for Rebecca Black’s Friday every Friday never gets old. Shakira’s collaboration with Black Eyed Peas scrapes new lows. 4ĂM slaps.
Found a lot of fantastic local trails, the whole Logan area for starters, new bits of the Uintas, and all round SLC too. Hell’s Canyon’s a great find, and they’re building miles of new trails for mountain bikes and pedestrians up above the avenues which are perfect for running around.
Started, but didn’t finish, running every street in Sugarhouse from the old house’s front door ( masked or at least 3 metres from any soul ).
Another project continued:
I take this shot looking across City creek from Meridian whenever I pass it. Need more snow and willpower to complete the seasonal set. #probablyart #SLC pic.twitter.com/A1FqbbgUFJ
— Gwyn (@gwynf) November 25, 2020
and today I snapped a snowy one:
Speaking of trails, I wore out several pairs of trainers…
For an historically indoorsy year, it’s been very outdoorsy.
I doubt I’ll ever run further or higher in a year. I did 230K of climb in 2019 and that included the R2R2R Grand Canyon madness. Training from April to Sept was pretty intense, and the dentistry didn’t help. I didn’t always manage the weekly mileage demanded by my wretched spreadsheet overlord, but, dammit, I did alright in The Bear 100 and get to wear a ‘Grizzly Club’ belt buckle if ever the mood takes me.
Telly? Going to make more of an effort to keep track of what I’ve been watching next year but standouts of the last year or so of golden age prestige TV include: Devs, Watchmen, Better Call Saul, Queen’s Gambit, The Flight Attendant, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Succession, Cobra Kai, The Umbrella Academy, Giri / Haji, The Morning Show, & His Dark Materials. And yesterday I binged through Ted Lasso, “US football coach comes to London and transforms lives with his folksy wisdom and absence of cynicism”, bloody loved it and consequently no longer know who I am. Other than Pixar’s Soul, I haven’t seen any standout films for a while, but the slew of quality small screen stuff more than makes up for that.
In 2021: Must. Read. More.
Favourite new ( to me ) podcasts:
Pilot TV Podcast
Grounded with Louis Theroux
The The One Show Show
St. Elwick’s Neighbourhood Association Newsletter Podcast
Films to be Buried With
My most liked instagram of 2020 was a video of an unseasonal blizzard in May up Farmington way, followed by my stock-in-trade Utah scenery. And a video of the bread maker in action.
Max_Pancho_2000’s top pic was himself and DrSita up city creek in late autumn. Truly a dog for all seasons.
A memorable year however you look at it. Interesting times…
Ever wondered how people avoid slowly cooking themselves to death while dressed as Dr. Simi or, in this case, ¿¥Barney!? (from Farmacia Generi-K in Tonalå) what with Mexico´s high temperatures?
Today I can reveal all with this AgaveWeb exclusive aerial shot…
So today we went to get an 8 piece dining set of ceramics from Tonala, just to give them one more thing to inspect as we cross the state lines on Monday. Lovely they are. Almost as good as the Provencale ones from a couple of years ago. I might have to leave my guitar behind to fit them all in the car. We won´t know till Sunday though.
Also, the Sauza family granted us a last minute interview and so we´re off to Tequila for the last time tomorrow afternoon before our last meal for a good while in La Matera and then other stuff.
Still to sell on the furniture front: 2 x computer desks, 2 x chairs, 1 kitchen cabinet, 1 folding table and kitchen bits and pieces. Sunday is going to be hectic. And tomorrow. And Saturday. And not to mention Monday…
I can´t post without mentioning Monday´s entertainment, as you´ll see in the post below we were expecting a quietish meal with our Flickr friends, we got there and all was calm then one by one the patio filled up with familiar faces dressed as angels, devils, kings, shepherds, and er mermaids… I didn´t know what the merry hell was going on for a good few minutes. It turns out they´d all got together and planned a Pastorela, a nativity play crossed with a Christmas panto in our honour. It was hilarious and such an unexpected and lovely send off. My appreciation for the peeps in this good town knows no bounds. I promised not to make the photos too public, but if you´re not in my Flickr contacts shout out and I´ll email you the link, and if you are a contact, then click away hence.
We´ve really been spoilt for friends here in Guadalajara, more than anywhere I´ve ever lived and I sincerely hope we can return the favour wherever we find ourselves next.
Righty, we´re off for tacos then down the pub cantina.
No news from Colorado yet, for the record.
Well, here I am on day 3 at me new job. I was first in the office and managed to walk here from the house despite a late night jam session with Aldoâs band (more of which later). It appears my main job is to research the history of the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, make notes and find a way of presenting it as a documentary project to possible funders. Itâs a lot like being a student again, except this time Iâve got a PC and not the Acorn Archimedes as a partner in crime and Iâm reading more during the day than back in Swansea. Iâm also working on some postcard ads to advertise my web services to the many specialist shops that are in this mall. Itâs a nice easy start and Iâm very much in favour of the 10am start time. So Iâm getting plenty of creative input. I even suggested Les Rythmes Digitales for a demo yesterday and they went with it. Which was nice. Itâs a little too early to try and incorporate scrabble into my schedule though, and maybe hold off the Skype for a week or so.
So last night I went round to Aldoâs mansion in Zapopan where he was practicing with the band to be Guadalajaraâs premier covers group. It was v. impressive, musically as well as in range. I played The Cureâs Just Like Heaven, Jarabe de Paloâs La Flaca and a couple of others. They played everything from Judas Priestâs âBreaking the law, breaking the lawâ to Totoâs Love isnât always on time, with riotous aplomb. Fair play to âem. Theyâre definitely out of my league musically, but I had fun.
