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Thursday, August 21, 2008

Invisbl blg

I know I complain constantly about being busy, but I've reached a point where I'm having to make a few sacrifices. One of them is NOT this blog as such, but I won't be able to blog with any regularity at all for the next few months.

The point of difference this time is that I have a huge looming personal deadline. Usually when I am busy, I shift things around a bit and everything seems to fit (just). This time I have a huge list of things to do and a brick wall to hit: in early November I am planning to have my womb removed and I will be forced to rest for AT LEAST six weeks.

cat

I'm not feeling bad about the womb -- no time, although I'm sure it will hit me sometime. I've crossed that first line of feeling sad and am just looking forward to the opportunity to do nothing but lie in bed and fend off the cats as they try to snuggle on my lap. I'm also looking forward to the holiday from femaleness, although if it all goes to plan and I have no complications, I will retain an ovary or two and that means I will not be free from PMT (poor BB) and I'll get a 'normal' menopause, whatever normal means in this increasingly bizarre universe. I'm also looking forward to the freedom from wanting babies and failing to achieve them. And no-one will be able to buttonhole me about not trying hard enough ever again (this is NOT BB, may I stress. He is completely supportive).

So between now and blissful nothingness I have to complete three commercial academic book layouts, the cover for my next fine press book, get a group binding exhibition project underway, bind more copies of the last book, finish a book project I've been helping someone with, teach a few more workshops, hang around the School of Art Open Day (30 August, peoples), and a few other things, not least family commitments. It makes my brain hurt.

So I will try to shove a picture up here every now and again, I will skulk about your blogs and occasionally comment, but I'm going to stop using that side of my brain (lovingly dubbed 'brian' by my dyslexic typing fingers) that spends a lot of the day thinking 'ooh, I must post that'. It'll be hard, but I console myself that when I'm able to sit at the computer post-op, I'll be blogging so much that your eyes will bleed. But for now, I'm cutting back. Oh, and that goes for Facebook games too. I will try to finish the games I have started, but when they finish, I'm not starting any more for a while. Sorry.

Before I go, a couple of dot-points, for old time's sake:

-- I've been listening to a lot of Thao Nguyen. If you ever loved Edie Brickell before Paul Simon burst her bubble (I'm showing my age here, I know), then get into Thao. She's fabulous.

-- I saw a bit of the Sydney Biennale the other day, on a uber-quick day trip with the art school. We just went to the NSW Gallery and Cockatoo Island. My favorite thing of all was William Kentridge, on Cockatoo Island, and if you do NOTHING else, see his work, it's frigging magical. I got very annoyed at a number of video artists who seem to think that they should be able to show videos longer than 10 minutes. All I can say is: get a film festival. Why should I spend 90 minutes with you when I have three hours before I have to catch a ferry back, and there are at least twenty other artists to spend time with? Tuh.

-- I got my bike fixed up the other day, and they kept finding more things wrong with it ("we tested your chain for wear and it scored 99 out of 100"). By the time I got everything done, I might as well have bought a new bike. Still, it's now fixed, and it is FABULOUS. I'm shocked at how badly it was suffering before... poor thing.

-- Snaps to my friend Lou, who came to me ages ago as a stranger wanting to start a letterpress stationery business and wanting to know where to buy the gear... I scoffed at the time, but look at her now! She's got a real feel for layering colours and varying pressure, and she loves the thrill of the chase (achieving that perfect print in the face of adversity, finding the equipment, etc)... I'm so impressed (sorry, bad pun).



OK. Ciao for now. I probably won't be able to help myself, but I'm certainly going to try.

funny pictures

13 comments:

GS said...

Big decision. Glad you have some time to let it fall into place. Nothing like a little medically induced forced rest to do some cogitating. Hope the busy lead up isn't too arduous.

BTW Slightly wounded, convalescent ducks are always welcome in Melbourne :)

naomi said...

If you retire from blogging I might retire from reading blogs! No, not a threat ... I'll miss your voice, and miss this way of catching up with you, but then once our nightmarish next few months is over I think we'll have to have a good, long, unbloggable natter ...

Mebbe come see you when ur feeling up to it - that being around the turning of my fifth decade'n'all.

xxxxxx

Kerryn Goldsworthy said...

"in early November I am planning to have my womb removed and I will be forced to rest for AT LEAST six weeks."

The best advice I can offer here is brutally practical: my sixteen-year-old gynecologist pointed out to me that if I drove anywhere in that six-week period and had an accident, I would not be covered by my insurance (having been told not to by a doctor).

Unless you have a hard time, you may find as I did that you actually spend more time in front of the computer, not less. The social isolation tends to make you drift to the keybort.

And don't underestimate the incredible happiness of the not having to think about women's business ever again thing. My dad took me supermarket shopping as soon as I was up to it and when we got to the 'feminine hygiene' aisle we looked at each other and laughed and laughed. 'You won't be needing any of that, I take it,' he said.

Ampersand Duck said...

Thanks, AOF. If not when I'm wounded, I do have plans to spend quality time in Melbourne in 2009...

Dr Sista: I wish I could vote for you! At least I'll have lots of time to talk on the phone.

Pav: I think I'll be on the keybort lots after the op. I'm making dot point lists about what I want to write.

I must say here, since you mentioned it, that I've been blissfully pad and tampon free for at least 3 years now, thanks to the wonders of this. I can't recommend it highly enough.

M-H said...

Can't say how much I love that first LOLcat. Thanks. And good luck with everything.

boynton said...

Will miss your wonderful warm-hearted blogging.
Take care.

naomi said...

phone will be good ...

Mummy/Crit said...

I'll be blogging so much that your eyes will bleed.

Nice imagery there Ducky. Ouch.

I know it's a hard decision to make - we've talked about it obliquely through blogs - but well done for making it. Let me know if you need anything in your convalescence. Cups of tea, conversation or the like.

Looking forward to the eye-bleeding, and I'll keep chekcing in here to see how you're going!

Unknown said...

Oooh good luck with it all &D, and I hope the next few weeks aren't too stressy for you.

chosha said...

I'll miss reading your posts, but excellent reason to take a blogging break. Hope it all goes smoothly.

Re the LOLcat, it's strange - I used to hate how people used the bad English on them, but the first thing I thought when I read that one was, "shouldn't that be 'iz I broken?'" Oh dear... :)

worldpeace and a speedboat said...

arrr take care, may all your work go smoooothly, and let us know when we can come and jump up and down on the bed... errr... bring chicken soup and read Austen aloud ;-)

Anonymous said...

Good luck Ducky. Come back soon.

Anonymous said...

Hope it all goes well - I'll be thinking of you!
Looking forward to a blogstorm in November.