Alex's Historical Fiction

Being let out

Perhaps I shouldn't be let out to the house in general. I had two days out in a row, and I rather liked it. Though it made me tired, as I was being sociable. Had a good time cutting out paper patterns for shoes. Then yesterday I was trying to actually cut leather. My main problem is not being able to 'give it some welly' as the Leather Guru exhorts. I can't consistently press as hard on the knife as needed, and I don't quite cut through all the leather. And this was apparently relatively easy stuff. Sheesh. So when I make the initial cut, I have to go again, and hope I'm cutting along the partial cut exactly. In effect, I have to cut the leather pattern out twice, and then of course there's the other shoe of the pair to do ... Hopefully the more I practise the easier it will get.

Today, I couldn't go back to help finish off the shoes, and I feel rather regretful. It's good making shoes, as you can see the outcome relatively quickly. Not so in researching and writing articles. It all takes time, and sometimes the publication reports can be submitted years before they actually appear in print. My very first report (submitted c1989) still hasn't seen the light of day.

I've now had my flu jab, so I'm even more confident about trotting out in public. Cinemas (and other busy enclosed spaces) were more or less banned from September, when bugs started to appear. I had to go shopping though, and that's where I caught my pre-flu-jab bug, I'm pretty sure. Now I'm at least partially protected. I wonder if The Devil Wears Prada is still on in town?

posted by Alex Bordessa @ Sunday, October 22, 2006