new years eve (the final countdown)

at about 6pm horsemouth goes for zoom beers with howard. they are both on good form. but a little way in (about a bottle and a half of beer) he is called for dinner. he tips the last half of the beer away (much to his mother's shock). later he watches a horror movie again (dario argento's inferno)

at 10.55 (and 30 seconds) horsemouth played the video of 'the final countdown' by europe on youtube in all its pseudo-baroque majesty. and at 11 as the video echoes off into the silence horsemouth waved goodbye to the EUtopian project. good luck my fellow EUtopians, horsemouth hopes to be rejoining you soon (well before his death anyway).  

at 12 he posted a happy new year and went to bed (to a good response as it turned out). early in the new year he received a response from mike in texas where it was just new year (and yes people were firing off their guns). 

indeed he has just received a text from his brother wishing him this. 

happy new year everyone! let our journey around the sun (re-)commence!

365 days. two solstices. two equinoxes. four celtic quarter days of cyclical time to fill. 

his mother remarks that it is the first day of brexit. horsemouth replies that the weather is worse. 

thanks to all who replied. and now on with the business of the year.

it's a grey dark day outside but the advantage of your modern new years day (at least at horsemouth's time of life) is that you don't start it out with a hang over. yesterday a brief walk on the common and up the fields. today probably another walk on the common (weather and mud permitting). 

horsemouth has done less walking than he would normally have done this last year. 

no walking into work (elephant and castle/ stratford, perhaps even holloway road), no walking up to walthamstow to browse charity shop bookshelves, no (or little) walking down to pop(u)lar or mile end  to make music or art, less walking over to the supermarkets in search of bargains and entertainment. 

while everyone else tells the lifestyle supplements they have been walking more (and indeed max 'crow' reeves has been circumnambulating momuments) .everyone with a camera has been off photographing the depopulated streets. (a little shocked at it all). 

even given modern entertainment technology it is difficult to achieve the levels of inactivity and pure 'staying in' required to prevent transmission of the virus (and especially given the calls to 'return' to work and the new 'more transmissible' variant). without a doubt the 'population' will have failed - but how can it be unsafe to visit your relatives but safe to teach a classroom full of children? 

anyway at some point horsemouth has to return to the seaside towns. there is the risk of the journey, the risk of the trains and tubes. horsemouth is fortunate in the nature of his employment (almost all of it can be done from home).