My Subconscious Is Just Fine

[liadnan]

I awoke on Sunday morning just as I was about to fight a duel with Edward VIII (while still prince of wales) or just possibly his father. I consider this a shame, and have no idea whatsoever what he was doing on my mind. I almost never remember my dreams, so obviously something important was going on. (The duel was taking place, rather atypically, at sunset, in a place that seemed a cross between Hyde Park and the Embankment to which I had a pass for access. What? Anyway, would anyone ever have called out or been called out by the heir to the throne? Sayers has Wimsey claim he had been called out once or twice, so relying on her accuracy I'm assuming it isn't entirely anachronistic, but still...)

I was then convinced I needed to ring Frankie and arrange to meet for coffee later that day, fortunately I was no further than groping for my phone and bringing her number up on the address book when I realied that (a) I was actually on Jersey whereas she was in London, or possibly Edinburgh, and (b) it was 5.30 in the morning. She and K. would, I suspect, have been unamused.

Eventually my discombobulation passed and I spent most of the rest of the day, as the wind blew and the sun shone on the snow outside, sitting in bed being nostalgic about old photographs, trying to work on four works in progress, none of which achieved much progress during the day, but such is life. And reading Frances Stonor Saunders' Hawkwood, fascinating but I never felt I had much of a sense of the man. Best read of the weekend, however, goes without doubt to George MacDonald Fraser's hysterically funny The Pyrates, which I recommend to each and every one of you.

And then Lewis, the long-awaited Morse spin-off. Delighted to see that before the first advert break they had already cut down from Broad Street along the Radcliffe Square side of All Souls to somewhere, in a car. Which might be possible were they in Hot Pursuit (TM), as I think you could physically pass through to the High (?if you take down some bollards?) but not otherwise. All in all fun, but I don't know if it has the steam to go it alone: eventually they'd have to drop the sighs, glimpses of red Mark II Jaguars, visits to the pub, music prizes called Endeavour and cryptic crossword clues left in one of Morse's old files.

The sun is shining and though there's no cotton on Jersey, the wind is howling, and the temperature freezing, I'm in a remarkably good mood. Enjoy it while ye may.

Via Martin the "John Hopkins Test" for whether you are an alcoholic. Oh dear. There doesn't appear to be an option for "have you ever attempted to cure a crucifying hangover with a Bloody Mary? Did it work?" (Yes).

Comments

[lexin.livejournal.com]

But according to that rubbish test, I'm an alcoholic, despite the fact that I drink about once a month, if that.

Problem with it is there's a distinct lack of a timescale, the questions are phrased 'have you ever', but 'have you ever' in my case includes back in 1983 when I was a five-pint-a-night, three-nights-a-week with a big party now and again student.

Honestly, what a load of toss.

[liadnan]

It's "Has your ambition decreased since drinking?" that gets me. As I pointed out on ninebelow's thread, the only real answer I could give would be "how the hell should I know, I was seven at the time".

[coughingbear]

Ditto on efficiency, though I can't claim seven as a starting point, more like 14. Can't see how anyone could take that quiz and not turn out to be an alcoholic unless they had never drunk at all. And the horror of 'drinking alone' is bizarre - why is it a sign of alcoholism for me to have a glass of wine at home, but not for friends who are a couple and both having a drink?

If it really comes from Johns Hopkins I'm amazed, it's so badly written.

[liadnan]

Well, seven was for values of drinking that include "heavily watered wine at Sunday lunch" to be fair. I do honestly think that this is a sensible way to introduce children to booze.

[lizw.livejournal.com]

Me too. My parents used to allow me to have wine in restaurants from about five. Our kids sometimes have a taste of champagne at New Year or similar, but otherwise, they aren't really interested, so it doesn't arise.

[coughingbear]

In that case I was about ten. Also occasional sips of beer, which I thought was disgusting. Agree it's a sensible introduction, though it didn't stop me being far from sensible at university.

[lexin.livejournal.com]

That's about the age at which I was first given heavily watered wine (apple, I recall. My father made wine from hedgerow fruit) at Sunday lunch. We moved to a glass of unwatered wine at about 14 or so.

[rparvaaz.livejournal.com]

Yay for your good mood! :)