Out with my son age 15. We don't see that much of each other nowadays. We set off, and he complains that I do not walk fast enough. My hips are aching, my breath is short. He does not know I lost my fitness walking always slowly and stooping low with a toddler, and that toddler was him, and that it doesn't seem that long ago.
I invite him to walk on and go without me.
He wants me to come with him, he is grateful. He experiments with cruelty. He says goodbye. He walks off. I don't mind, I let him go. After a short burst of speed he stops and waits, and thanks me for coming with him. I irritate him, I embarass him. I'm his mother. He badgers me to finish my mushroom risotto in a plastic tub and insists I drink the smoothie on the way home. I just can't eat any faster. I don't want to. I talk too loudly in the metro. He picks a fight. He shouts at me, gets angry, he says he's BORED with hearing the same thing and strides off, not very convincingly, enjoying the fact that I can't catch him up, noticing that I can waddle after him when I'm determined to make my point in the argument, which is all about doing things for his good. "You should walk more. You should get fit again Mum".
I see him in the metro crowds, the same shape, height and colour as all the other adult males.
When we've finished arguing not very convincingly, we talk about science, and alchemy, and the science of life, and transhumanism. I'm aware I'm trying to pass him seeds of something, seeds in a packet for his pocket which he will carry into his life. Seeds formed from my life, ready to be planted, but which don't look much for the time being, and might easily be lost in a dusty pocket.
I know I won't be out with this son for much longer. I think the people who will go out with him will be lucky.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Monday, February 25, 2013
Egg Table
Well here she is our egg-shaped tripod table which we designed in collaboration with local ecological carpenter and artisan Philippe, made from Ash. (http://www.histoiresdarbres.com) Our table is affectionately known as Cosmic Egg (after Hildegarde of Bingen).
Because it has three legs and a curved shape it is possible to sit up to 12 people around it, without anyone being jammed against a leg (the legs are set well back). It has 5 coats of ecological 'hard' oil, and is pretty tough. The natural grain of the wood means it is not too pristine and stain-fussy.
The more I get to know this table, the more I love it. Everyone always ends up round the table, not just for meals, also because you're talking to the cook or need a flat space for your tea and biscuits, your pen and paper, your musical score... It's rounded shape and edging creates a fluid passage around it, is comfortable to lean into. You can sit anywhere on the curve, close to your neighbour, or if you prefer, in a space by yourself to work, or sing, or think, there are almost infinite possibilities along the curved line, and it feels comfortable for one, two three, four and a cat with hope in its heart, around the circular bit for sitting opposite with plenty of space, or gathered closely around the pointy end, or nobly separated at each end and facing one another, and comfortable with a crowd assembled. It's pale warm colour reflects a soft light, it's grain is infinitely fascinating, it's touch soft and appealing, conversations flow over it, meals spread out comfortably, a cluster of mismatched cheap and recycled chairs gathered around it, differences welcome, it is a centre of family life.
I'm sure it will double as a conference table in future years, for the Hermit Support Group's Annual Conference, perhaps.
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| Hildegarde of Bingen's Cosmic Egg |
Because it has three legs and a curved shape it is possible to sit up to 12 people around it, without anyone being jammed against a leg (the legs are set well back). It has 5 coats of ecological 'hard' oil, and is pretty tough. The natural grain of the wood means it is not too pristine and stain-fussy.
The more I get to know this table, the more I love it. Everyone always ends up round the table, not just for meals, also because you're talking to the cook or need a flat space for your tea and biscuits, your pen and paper, your musical score... It's rounded shape and edging creates a fluid passage around it, is comfortable to lean into. You can sit anywhere on the curve, close to your neighbour, or if you prefer, in a space by yourself to work, or sing, or think, there are almost infinite possibilities along the curved line, and it feels comfortable for one, two three, four and a cat with hope in its heart, around the circular bit for sitting opposite with plenty of space, or gathered closely around the pointy end, or nobly separated at each end and facing one another, and comfortable with a crowd assembled. It's pale warm colour reflects a soft light, it's grain is infinitely fascinating, it's touch soft and appealing, conversations flow over it, meals spread out comfortably, a cluster of mismatched cheap and recycled chairs gathered around it, differences welcome, it is a centre of family life.
 |
| "If we are showing off the table mum, then we must all sit like Bree Hodge (B and JC didn't) |
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Marks Again!
R was in the mood for revelations this morning: having previously received a false mark on Pronote, the Mark Obsessed Website, 3 out of 20 instead of 13, he now finds the error can be in his favour. He is the proud owner of a 20 out of 20 intsead of a 12. This is because he is sometimes given the marks of another boy in his class who shares his name. Happily for R, this boy is an 'intello', a particularly obedient and diligent child who dedicates his life to getting good marks, so R can only come out on top.
I previously reported that someone at school had hacked into Pronote The Online Mark Administrator and upgraded all his marks, and this morning more revelations emerged on this subject too;
"He got expelled from the school"
"But I thought he only got a warning"
"No, because in fact he was helping lots of people to get good marks"
"A philanthropist, hardly a sacking offence..."
"No, he was charging 10 Euros an upgrade. He got caught because he usually had an avarage of 8 out of 20 and he changed it to 18 out of 20. And then one day a teacher noticed one of her marks should be 15 and was 20, she thought it was a mistake and put it back to 15, and then seconds later it went back up to 20, so they knew there was a hacker"
"Hang on a minute, how do you know all this?"
"One of the assistant teachers likes to tell stories" he says smiling, "It's a pity that boy got caught, otherwise by 18 he could have been a rich man".
I previously reported that someone at school had hacked into Pronote The Online Mark Administrator and upgraded all his marks, and this morning more revelations emerged on this subject too;
"He got expelled from the school"
"But I thought he only got a warning"
"No, because in fact he was helping lots of people to get good marks"
"A philanthropist, hardly a sacking offence..."
"No, he was charging 10 Euros an upgrade. He got caught because he usually had an avarage of 8 out of 20 and he changed it to 18 out of 20. And then one day a teacher noticed one of her marks should be 15 and was 20, she thought it was a mistake and put it back to 15, and then seconds later it went back up to 20, so they knew there was a hacker"
"Hang on a minute, how do you know all this?"
"One of the assistant teachers likes to tell stories" he says smiling, "It's a pity that boy got caught, otherwise by 18 he could have been a rich man".
Friday, February 22, 2013
Home Made Stereo
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| In the pack of cards is the phone charger/ipod to stereo connection |
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| Uses an old car sepaker, can be connected to ipod, telly, computer... |
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| Car stereo inserted into shoe box with volume control and led light, box open showing insides |
His schoolfriends are delighted, the boys like grooving on the move at lunchtime and the girls charge their mobile phones and call him a genius. He is making another one for a friend.
Monday, February 18, 2013
They really don't listen
It seems R is right when he says that at school they don't listen.
R's friend S came to lunch today, she told me she fell down in sport last week and showed me a bruise on her leg the size of the Atlantic ocean.
Today, a week later, it is time for the sports lesson again, but instead of the sports teacher asking how she is, or even allowing her to come up to him and explain, I have to write her a note explaining that she needs to be careful in sport. Only with this note to show does she have the right to go up to the teacher, flapping the exercise book, and enjoya short hearing (reading the note in front of her, lips moving presumably). Communication is incredibly contorted in the French College, no wonder the French all grow up difficult (in my culturally biased opinion).
R's friend S came to lunch today, she told me she fell down in sport last week and showed me a bruise on her leg the size of the Atlantic ocean.
Today, a week later, it is time for the sports lesson again, but instead of the sports teacher asking how she is, or even allowing her to come up to him and explain, I have to write her a note explaining that she needs to be careful in sport. Only with this note to show does she have the right to go up to the teacher, flapping the exercise book, and enjoya short hearing (reading the note in front of her, lips moving presumably). Communication is incredibly contorted in the French College, no wonder the French all grow up difficult (in my culturally biased opinion).
I make watches go wrong
Jenny's comment about bad electrical karma made me remember my watch problem. As long as I can remember I have made electronic watches go wrong; they go fast, then slow, or they stop. I take them back to the shop, they say the battery is fine. They give them back to me, they go wrong the minute I've left the shop.
I now have two watches, both from Fossil because they have a leather strap that goes under the watch face, between it an my skin. I wear one for a few weeks, and when it starts to go wrong, I give it a rest and wear the other, until that one goes wrong, at which point the other one is ok. Even so, one of them, still under guarantee, had to be sent off to the Swiss repairers to have its innards totally replaced.
I've taken to asking watch sellers, is this a common problem?
They all say yes, there are definitely some people who make watches go wrong. The latest guy in Fossil said that we all have electrical activity in our bodies, in some it is nearer the surface, or the skin is thin. The very coquette and overly made up woman at the shopping centre watch shop says it is to do with the phases of the moon. Well, I don't know about all that. I wonder if it is good, bad, or just a meaningless feature? The guy in Fossil tried to sell me a 300 Euro Man's Watch (It eez Boyfriend Watch), the only one they stock which is wind-up. I'm tempted, although it really isn't my style. Or price. Bit of a wind-up really.
I now have two watches, both from Fossil because they have a leather strap that goes under the watch face, between it an my skin. I wear one for a few weeks, and when it starts to go wrong, I give it a rest and wear the other, until that one goes wrong, at which point the other one is ok. Even so, one of them, still under guarantee, had to be sent off to the Swiss repairers to have its innards totally replaced.
I've taken to asking watch sellers, is this a common problem?
They all say yes, there are definitely some people who make watches go wrong. The latest guy in Fossil said that we all have electrical activity in our bodies, in some it is nearer the surface, or the skin is thin. The very coquette and overly made up woman at the shopping centre watch shop says it is to do with the phases of the moon. Well, I don't know about all that. I wonder if it is good, bad, or just a meaningless feature? The guy in Fossil tried to sell me a 300 Euro Man's Watch (It eez Boyfriend Watch), the only one they stock which is wind-up. I'm tempted, although it really isn't my style. Or price. Bit of a wind-up really.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Unreliable Modern Machines
We've done a lot of house renovating in the past few years and have had to buy a lot of new equipment. As a family we waste far too much time on unreliable modern machines, it's financially untenable, a constant niggly feeling of no confidence, and above all, it's an ecological disaster. These machines just don't seem to be viable.
This morning we spent one hour on the mobile phone to get our house phone and internet back after a short power cut yesterday evening.
Went to empty washing machine (Ariston Hotppoint, is is really 3 years old already, seems like yesterday that we replaced the last one which was broken) water flooded out, will not re-start.
The Polti Steam Cleaner's alarm goes off all the time, even when it's not empty, and it worries me
The state of the art water boiler (Frisquet) burned out it's motor, and had trouble with his electronic remote thermostat.
The dishwasher (Whirlpool) has in it's short life already had 2 repairs and isn't washing that well, I'm pretty certain the part is coming loose again. (1.5 years old)
My oven is difficult to programme and keeps skipping on the timer, and is not as hot as the old tatty one.
My Dyson Vaccuum cleaner was totally ****ed after a few months, was dealt with over the phone, and sent inappriopriate and unecological replacement parts until I worked out what was wrong with it myself and ordered the correct part - and it only has a one year guarantee (I thought Dyson was proud of its quality) and so the next time it goes it will be for the bin. I'm really cheesed off about this as I went for quality long-lasting and expensive.
The kitchen Hobb (Whirlpool) was faultily wired and had to be repaired within months.
Our car (Renault) falls to bits on a regular basis at 1000 Euros a time thanks to their encased multi-parts scam.
Don't even ask me about compter printers.
WHO CAN WE TRUST?
So far, Magimix - I'm very pleased with the food processor which was a wedding present and is fifteen years old, and with the Magimix blender which is used every day for smoothies and soup, 1 year old so far but I feel confident in it - before that I bought a Moulinex, the internal plastics melted after 2 weeks and the whole thing returned, they never wrote back to apologize/explain/make good, and so I chose Magimix when I replaced my 25 year old toaster (Morphy Richardson) in the hope that it too will last 25 years. They also have a real customer service, the only one that replies and they have repair shops.
This morning we spent one hour on the mobile phone to get our house phone and internet back after a short power cut yesterday evening.
Went to empty washing machine (Ariston Hotppoint, is is really 3 years old already, seems like yesterday that we replaced the last one which was broken) water flooded out, will not re-start.
The Polti Steam Cleaner's alarm goes off all the time, even when it's not empty, and it worries me
The state of the art water boiler (Frisquet) burned out it's motor, and had trouble with his electronic remote thermostat.
The dishwasher (Whirlpool) has in it's short life already had 2 repairs and isn't washing that well, I'm pretty certain the part is coming loose again. (1.5 years old)
My oven is difficult to programme and keeps skipping on the timer, and is not as hot as the old tatty one.
My Dyson Vaccuum cleaner was totally ****ed after a few months, was dealt with over the phone, and sent inappriopriate and unecological replacement parts until I worked out what was wrong with it myself and ordered the correct part - and it only has a one year guarantee (I thought Dyson was proud of its quality) and so the next time it goes it will be for the bin. I'm really cheesed off about this as I went for quality long-lasting and expensive.
The kitchen Hobb (Whirlpool) was faultily wired and had to be repaired within months.
Our car (Renault) falls to bits on a regular basis at 1000 Euros a time thanks to their encased multi-parts scam.
Don't even ask me about compter printers.
WHO CAN WE TRUST?
So far, Magimix - I'm very pleased with the food processor which was a wedding present and is fifteen years old, and with the Magimix blender which is used every day for smoothies and soup, 1 year old so far but I feel confident in it - before that I bought a Moulinex, the internal plastics melted after 2 weeks and the whole thing returned, they never wrote back to apologize/explain/make good, and so I chose Magimix when I replaced my 25 year old toaster (Morphy Richardson) in the hope that it too will last 25 years. They also have a real customer service, the only one that replies and they have repair shops.
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