Living as a hermit

[strange_complex]

I've just been on a round trip to the post office and Sainsbury's. This is worthy of note, because it is the first time I have left the house at all, for anything, since last Saturday evening. That makes six whole, complete days as a hermit: quite possibly the longest time I've been without leaving the house ever before.

It must be confessed that I fall a little short of true hermit status, because Fleur WINOLJ came round for a whole two hours on Wednesday night, and I have also been talking to people occasionally on the phone, as well as reading and commenting on people's LJs. Still, I've definitely been spending an unusual amount of time with no company but my own.

I don't seem to feel any psychological ill effects from this, though. I'm feeling a little tense and overburdened, but that isn't caused by the hermitage itself: it's a perfectly understandable symptom of the wider reason I'm doing this in the first place - my book. Progress on that is OK, though. Not startlingly, searingly good, but good enough that I can still get it done. Which is what matters. The last week's been tough, and next week is going to be tougher. But in my own way, I'm kind of enjoying it.

Life is very simple when you have one goal, and only one goal, from the moment you wake up in the morning to the moment you go to sleep at night. There's no guilt about not working, because I'm doing that all the time (well, apart from right now, obviously - but hey, I've earnt a little break!). There's no agonising over whether I'm 'good enough', because it just has to be done now, as best I can. And it's satisfying to find how much I'm improving my text, while simultaneously watching the word-count fall a little further each day.

No, I'm doing all right, and if, as I suspect, I don't leave the house again now until late this coming week (when my food supplies will run out), then that's OK with me.

I did enjoy my hour's foray into the outside world, though. The sun is bright, the sky blue, it was warm enough to go out with just a jacket instead of a coat, and there was a fresh, spirit-lifting spring breeze in the air. Town was full of people enjoying the weather, and the new Oxford Castle complex was full of Morris dancers, drummers, and cheery crowds watching their antics. I'd have liked to stay outside and play, but I know I'll get to see much the same sort of thing on May morning - and that I'll enjoy it far more then in the satisfaction of knowing I've finished my book.

I also had the pleasure of wearing an extremely cool pair of trousers out, which arrived in the post this morning. (Ahem, yes - Ebay have been profiting somewhat from the hours I'm spending in front of my computer, too.) They have instantly and officially become my favourite trousers, and in fact I have awarded them the title of The Trousers To End All Trousers in recognition of their true greatness. Here they are:





I'm always nervous about the fit of clothes when buying online, but these don't just fit me well. They fit me perfectly - like they'd been growed for the job (as my Dad says). They are also incredibly flattering to my figure, and will go very nicely with some chunky black and purple ankle-boots and a funky industrial black and purple jumper which I already own. I cannot, of course, attend Intrusion on Tuesday, due to the continuing hermitage. But you can bet your boots I'll be there for the May 9th one, and that these trousers will be with me. Oh, and I should warn any fellow attendees that, according to the label, these trousers are called 'Lust Pants'. Beware!

Well, I guess it's back to the grindstone, then. I'm currently writing about baths in the urban periphery - why they were built there, what they were like and what people did with them. Cheery comments to help me on my way much appreciated!

Comments

[keris.livejournal.com]

Those are really nice trousers :) :) :). Are they Tripp by any chance? They do loads of really nice ones, all with zips annoyingly placed on the lower leg so they can't be taken up ;)

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

No, they're made by some people called Poizen Industries. Their zips also come right down to the bottom of the leg, though, I'm afraid.

[kernowgirl.livejournal.com]

So the Oxford Castle thing is finished then?? I wonder if it lives up to all the posters for it!

I've been something of a hermit myself, with my daily excursion being an hour's walk along the beach (which I have to admit, isn't exactly torture, although it's getting somewhat repetitive!). But glad to hear you're finding it therapeutic and delighted to hear the book is coming along.

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes. I really like it, actually - they've done it very sensitively and imaginatively, and it's a nice reliable place to go for a good choice of food options.

Are you settled enough to think of starting to find a job for yourself, yet? I suppose that is the next step, now you've got the house set up. Oh do you still need to learnt to drive first?

I'm half-way done with the baths already! OK, so it was a fairly short section. But still: I am awesome! Yay!

[davesangel.livejournal.com]

Ooh, what utterly fabulous trousers! :D I demand pictures of you in said trousers after you finish the book and are out celebrating :P

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

I think that can be arranged! :)

[miss-next.livejournal.com]

Trousers with purple bits! Yay! :-) (No pockets, though, I'll bet...)

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

Au contraire - they have 10, including two 'sekrit' stash pockets.

[miss-next.livejournal.com]

Gosh! *is impressed*

[dragophelion.livejournal.com]

Oooh, I have those trousers too!! :o)

They are indeed fab!

Infact, they are the only pair of somewhat baggy style trousers I have managed to allow myself to wear...all the others have seemed somewhat shapeless, but these were just great!

...and the purple bits are just tooooo cool! I am considering getting myself the red version too!

There are also shirts that match, which is rather nice! We've had the red and pink ones in the shop (http://www.kinkyangel.co.uk/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=166&zenid=1d91f97d9e754f2772264175654d642b) (where I work) but I'm still waiting for a purple shirt to come in so I can match! *lol*

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

I think what's really good about these ones is that they are quite close-fitting around the waist and hips, which is what makes them so flattering. They don't make you look enormous and chunky round the waist, but they do get enormous and chunky lower down, thus making the wearer's waist look all the more slender!

I did see the matching shirts on the ebay seller's shop site, but I decided I'd rather wear a close-fitting top with them. That goes with the slender-waist look I mentioned above - slim on top, flared below, is my personal fashion mantra!

[sashajwolf.livejournal.com]

I think that simplicity's one of the things I miss about being at College.

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

Yes, it definitely has its appeal. Last Saturday, I was talking to a friend about how writing the book was feeling, and said that it was really enjoyable in some ways, "like revising for exams." He looked very bemused...

[captainlucy.livejournal.com]

Woah! Trouser lust!!! :D

Best of luck getting the book finished! It's always good watching the word count creep higher and higher towards that magical target, especially if you're also doing proof-reading and editing at the same time. :D

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

Aye - except that my job is to bring the word-count down, not up!

When I started, I had about 130,000 words on my hands (i.e. my DPhil thesis), and a lot of them weren't up to much. Now I have 117,000. What's left is much sharper, and more words are going every day. That magical target in this case is 100,000. I know I can get about another 10,000 out at the current rate fairly easily, probably by the end of next weekend. The final 7,000 are going to cost me some pain, though, I think. :(

And thanks for a very appropriate icon - that's exactly what I need to hear right now!