Sunday, February 18, 2007
No film today, because I managed to spend the whole of the day at Sister 1's messing with her PC. I didn't really mind. I find that I learn an awful lot about how PC's and Windows works by messing with my siblings' PC's. (Mess with my own PC first? Fuck off!)
I learnt today that my Niece just loves to download toolbars for Internet Explorer 7. Loading up Internet Explorer on Sister 1's PC was like having a migraine nightmare on a street in downtown Tokyo. (Never been to Tokyo, but I would like to.) Lots of flashing graphics. Lots of adverts. Lots of colour!!! About a third of the screen was taken over with toolbar shit. I asked Sister 1 where all of that stuff came from. She said
"Ask the demon"
indicating my Niece, who was sitting at the table with a serene, innocent expression on her face. Don't ask me - I know nothing, what was she was thinking. I could read her thoughts.
My Niece is the Devil. A smart Devil, it must be said, and way cleverer than she lets on.
With a bit of prompting my Niece helped me download all of the latest Microsoft updates, update the Firewall and Virus checker, renew the subscription on the Firewall and Virus checker that was just about the expire, remove all of the games (except the ones I bought her for her birthday), remove most of the toolbars she had downloaded (Google being the only one we decided to keep), run a defrag, setup filters on Outlook Express, tidy up the desktop and remove all temporary Internet files.
I then let her play me the video of "Flying Without Wings" by Westlife. She found it on You Tube. It's her Mom's favourite record. My Niece thinks that she discovered You Tube.
My Niece is 9 years old. She will be 10 in May. One day my Niece will rule the world. Don't doubt it.
My Niece became bored with old people talk, so she went outside to play. Time for a chat with Sister 1.
Sister 1 leaned back, lit a cigarette, looked me in the face and said
"So, what's going on then, John?"
and I told her. I fessed up. I spilled nearly everything. (I didn't mention the blog.) Lorraine and Me. The lack of communication. The lack of sex. The tension. The frustration. The lows. My anger. A bit about the drinking and the blackout that worried me so much at Christmas.
It was cathartic. I've not had such a serious conversation with Sister 1 for a very long time. There was a time when we were completely honest with each other, because no matter how we fought and fell out, secrets were secrets and would never be revealed.
Sister 1 said that I needed to talk to Lorraine. I needed to talk seriously and quickly, before it all fell apart. She said how much she liked Lorraine, but couldn't understand why Lorraine didn't want to talk about our problems.
Indeed.
Re. Sister 1's personal life, until recently she had been nobbing a guy 15 years younger than herself (she will be 38 this year, so well done Sis!), but now it is over. Something about him texting her for Sex at 4:30 in the morning and her commenting that she was "Not a fucking hooker!"
Turn the page. Time to write of better things.
Yesterday I purchased tickets to see The Who at the NIA in May. I got quite good seats. I'll be going with my Brother and Boz Rude from work. Boz is a massive Who fan and is always good fun.
Finally, next Saturday Lorraine and I will be going to see Maureen Lipman in the play "Martha, Josie and the Chinese Elvis" at the Birmingham REP. I know practically nothing about the play, except that it is a comedy, but Lorraine is a huge Maureen Lipman fan and she wanted to go. I'll read up on the play before I get there.
And that, as they say, is that. I'm off. You can talk amongst yourselves while I'm away.
I learnt today that my Niece just loves to download toolbars for Internet Explorer 7. Loading up Internet Explorer on Sister 1's PC was like having a migraine nightmare on a street in downtown Tokyo. (Never been to Tokyo, but I would like to.) Lots of flashing graphics. Lots of adverts. Lots of colour!!! About a third of the screen was taken over with toolbar shit. I asked Sister 1 where all of that stuff came from. She said
"Ask the demon"
indicating my Niece, who was sitting at the table with a serene, innocent expression on her face. Don't ask me - I know nothing, what was she was thinking. I could read her thoughts.
My Niece is the Devil. A smart Devil, it must be said, and way cleverer than she lets on.
With a bit of prompting my Niece helped me download all of the latest Microsoft updates, update the Firewall and Virus checker, renew the subscription on the Firewall and Virus checker that was just about the expire, remove all of the games (except the ones I bought her for her birthday), remove most of the toolbars she had downloaded (Google being the only one we decided to keep), run a defrag, setup filters on Outlook Express, tidy up the desktop and remove all temporary Internet files.
I then let her play me the video of "Flying Without Wings" by Westlife. She found it on You Tube. It's her Mom's favourite record. My Niece thinks that she discovered You Tube.
My Niece is 9 years old. She will be 10 in May. One day my Niece will rule the world. Don't doubt it.
My Niece became bored with old people talk, so she went outside to play. Time for a chat with Sister 1.
Sister 1 leaned back, lit a cigarette, looked me in the face and said
"So, what's going on then, John?"
and I told her. I fessed up. I spilled nearly everything. (I didn't mention the blog.) Lorraine and Me. The lack of communication. The lack of sex. The tension. The frustration. The lows. My anger. A bit about the drinking and the blackout that worried me so much at Christmas.
It was cathartic. I've not had such a serious conversation with Sister 1 for a very long time. There was a time when we were completely honest with each other, because no matter how we fought and fell out, secrets were secrets and would never be revealed.
Sister 1 said that I needed to talk to Lorraine. I needed to talk seriously and quickly, before it all fell apart. She said how much she liked Lorraine, but couldn't understand why Lorraine didn't want to talk about our problems.
Indeed.
Re. Sister 1's personal life, until recently she had been nobbing a guy 15 years younger than herself (she will be 38 this year, so well done Sis!), but now it is over. Something about him texting her for Sex at 4:30 in the morning and her commenting that she was "Not a fucking hooker!"
Turn the page. Time to write of better things.
Yesterday I purchased tickets to see The Who at the NIA in May. I got quite good seats. I'll be going with my Brother and Boz Rude from work. Boz is a massive Who fan and is always good fun.
Finally, next Saturday Lorraine and I will be going to see Maureen Lipman in the play "Martha, Josie and the Chinese Elvis" at the Birmingham REP. I know practically nothing about the play, except that it is a comedy, but Lorraine is a huge Maureen Lipman fan and she wanted to go. I'll read up on the play before I get there.
And that, as they say, is that. I'm off. You can talk amongst yourselves while I'm away.
Labels: Computers, Family, Lorraine, Sex
# posted by Pynchon @ 7:17 pm 
Comments:
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I think your sister is great for being there for you and for knowing that something is bugging you. It helps to have a third party to offload on. But I don't think you should be so hard on yourself - I hate to say it but I think Lorraine has a big part to play in your current unhappiness.
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