DOUBLE PFIZERED

Had my second Pfizer jab yesterday morning, twelve weeks after the first one. So I'm all jabbed up now, waiting for the world's unlocking and the eyes' unblocking.

OVERDONE OBEDIENCE CHART

This is not art but it deserves a place in the Museum Of Overdone Things (MOOT). It is the chart I made four weeks ago after the second cataract operation to remind myself of when and which eyedrops I was supposed to insert daily and for how long. Without it I might have remembered the routine but can memory be trusted? No. Tomorrow, Monday, will be the last day of Maxidex but Monopost continues indefinitely. Those are my orders and I am obedient, within reason. If reason plays no part whatsoever in orders of any kind then I do not obey.

In order to see letters on screen and keyboard as I type this I am still using a large magnifying glass because close-up vision is more or less (expletive that rhymes with lucked). It was explained to me by the ophthalmic surgeon that near-vision will be restored when I get prescription glasses. I will go to high street opticians to have glasses prescribed in another week or so. Mustn't be too soon after the de-cataracting. I sort of miss my cataracts.

Et voilà. This explains why I haven't been posting lately. If I'd typed this without magnification and loads of corrections it would be nothing but typos.

Royal Mythology

The particular aspect which baffles me (not for the first time) about the whole Royal myth is the degree to which so many people, both inside and outside the establishment, all over the world, participate in the myth whilst knowing perfectly well that it is a myth and with evidence clearly in view to anyone who cares to look, that Royals (throughout history) can and often do behave as badly as 'ordinary' people, sometimes worse, because they can get away with it. Yet the veil of mythology which coats eyes more effectively than cataracts makes it seem that really bad human behaviour, even criminal behaviour, simply does not ever happen within Royal circles because these are superior beings living in a superior world where such things simply don't happen. So when Opra Winfrey's mouth along with the world's collective mouth drops open when Meghan or Harry mention that an anonymous Royal asked a racist question, the collective assumption is: OMG! You mean that a Royal can actually be racist? As well as all the other awful things that any Royal might be? Impossible!!

The mythology will no doubt persist but if the veil can be lifted even a little, then I give Meghan and Harry credit for this cataract operation.

ROYAL KERFUFFLE

Maybe it’s because I wasn’t brought up in the UK but I absolutely do not understand the whole THING, the whole kerfuffle palaver sound and fury and earth-shattering repercussions of a TV interview conducted by celebrity Oprah Winfrey with celebrity couple Meghan and Harry, a nice couple in love, happy with their adorable little boy and the no doubt adorable baby daughter inside Meghan’s bump. They’re sitting in the garden of their beautful house in California telling Oprah why they left home - or rather Harry’s home, a palace inside an institution they call The Firm which is actually The Monarchy and that’s why the Media, the Tabloids, the Royals, the Courtiers, the Pundits, the influencers, the Presenters and The Public - zillions of them all over the planet - have been watching and listening open-mouthed, entranced and/or outraged by every word dropping from the celebrity lips.

WTF??????

Now all those entranced and/or outraged people here in the Disunited Queendom are feverishly outdoing each other in analysing, predicting, condemning or praising every word that was pronounced by that celebrity couple having trouble with their family. The only difference being that, in this case, the family are The Monarchy and, in the eyes of zillions of people, the Monarchy and Monarchs themselves are not like other people. They can do no wrong and if they accidentally happen to do wrong it must never be called “wrong” and certainly not admitted. Ever. The Institution of Monarchy must survive. That’s just how it is, they say. The Firm’s problem is: the rebel couple in California want to tell everybody how it really is.

CATARACTS AND SHOES

Cataract removal no.2 over and done with this morning. Am typing this with one hand while the other hand holds a magnifying glass over the keyboard. Plastic shield over operated eye plus post-op whatever prevents vision so I can't tell as yet what the result is but the consultant, my NHS surgeon, said it went very well. He also said I was very calm whereas most people are not calm during this operation. He also said he liked my shoes, which was very nice. I wore my lucky comfortable flat golden shoes. It has taken me almost an hour to type this.

LITERATURE, YOU KNOW

Is this a new lockdown-inspired industry? For the past couple of months I've been getting a steady stream of emails in my junk folder from ladies with constantly changing names, some exotic, some Anglo-Saxon, inviting me for sex. From references to my hardness and other virile qualities, they evidently assume that I am male. All give links to photographs and phone numbers (needless to say, I never click on anything). At first all the emails said, with variations, that she had "seen me walking around her apartment, I am amazing, exactly her type, I can come and spend the night with her and stay for breakfast." Then the style changed and invitations were from "young, inexperienced college girl yearning for a mature man to show her all that he can do to her." Later the messages took on more outright porno details of what was on offer. Then, since those desperate entreaties weren't getting any response, a cooler approach was tried: she is now a bored married woman longing for a mystery lover but we must be discreet because "you know, husband". The latest one is from "a tall blonde girl" longing for...etc. What I'm wondering is this:

Is everybody getting these emails? Have a bunch of female (and/or male) entrepreneurs seen a business opportunity provided by Covid19, with marketing aimed at guys fed up with lockdown, horny enough to risk accepting one or more "in the flesh" encounters? Or is this scam orchestrated by some international crime gang with even darker intentions? Whatever it is, I deleted the emails immediately but kind of wish I'd kept them, imagining that somewhere in a dingy room a group of people are at this very moment sitting at their laptops or iPhones trying to think of more effective phrases to convey their intentions. Literature, you know.

NOT A VALENTINE

Today is Valentine day? So? Valentine schmalentine. Hearts are meant to beat in regular rhythm, flowers are meant to be left in peace to grow and look beautiful before dying, chocolate is meant to be eaten or drunk whenever or IF ever you choose to do so. Valentine schmalentine doubled!

HAIR TODAY

The occasional random hacking at my own sparse locks gives me an unwanted Boris style but at least I can produce a facial expression which I don't think Mr.Johnson is capable of. True or false?

My second cataract op (right eye this time) is scheduled for the 22nd of February. I hope this one is more impressive than the previous one. Will report in due course.

REBELLIOUS SNOWFLAKES

Have been working on a new portrait and other things and occasionally glancing out the window at the dance of minuscule snowflakes not interested in regimentation, each doing their own thing. Lovely maverick snowflakes.

INSPIRED AND INSPIRING

I read this poem on the Facebook page of my friend (yet to meet in real life) Isabel Pires and it resonated so deeply that I had to correct the awful translation provided by Google's obedient but inadequate language robots. No doubt there are better translations than mine but at least you'll get the gist. I hadn't heard of Portuguese poet and journalist Manuel Antonio Pina but Isabel's page is a discovery and treasure chest of Portuguese (including some of her own) and other poetry selected by her and accompanied by art works she locates on the web to partner each poem. I'm constantly amazed by Isabel's inspired and inspiring choices.