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Sunday, September 14, 2008

Eggbert, Hallbert, distractions and all the serious research-stuff

My poor Eggbert is still at the hospital in Big City for sick computers. I had thought that with Eggbert being away, and therefore unable to distract me with games and such, I would get more work done. After all, Hallbert, who is Eggbert’s understudy, is getting on in years. He’s not very fast or playful. Also, being a laptop, Hallbert, with all his slow seriousness, can go with me wherever I am. So there’s no excuse not to work on my thesis.

But I can always count on the universe to assure that my plans never, ever turn out the way I thought.

Take the other day, for example. I took Hallbert and my papers with me to the park. If you can call a small path with a large puddle covered in reefs and algae a park. Actually, it’s more like a swamp with a bench in it. But I digress. The plan was to do all sorts of scientific, serious research-stuff. However, the universe immediately set out to wreak havoc on my plan.

First came the annoying bee. Bees don’t bother me, but this one was determined to crawl up my nose and would not take no for an answer. Then came the screaming children who were left to wait in the car for their parents just a few paces away. Their considerate folks had let them open up all the windows, to make sure they didn’t use up all the oxygen in the vehicle with all their jumping and howling. After a while I began to suspect that their mum and dad had abandoned them. Not that I couldn’t understand that.

“I’ll go home,” I thought. “I’ll make myself a nice cup of coffee and get tons of work done,” I thought.

Twenty minutes later, Hallbert was all set up at my desk, a large cup of coffee steaming away right next to him. I sat down, wiggled my fingers in preparation, took a deep breath… and heard drums. Then there were more drums and what sounded like trumpets, and it all seemed to be coming closer and closer.

Before I knew it, a marching band was marching up around and around in circles in the parking lot outside my house, showing no signs of leaving any time soon.

Well, you don’t have to knock me unconscious to make a point. The serious science-stuff’ll just have to wait a little while longer.

8 comments:

Adele said...

lol, oh dear I hope eggbert comes home soon and yes a marching band is definately a mesage to procrastinate.

Big Brother said...

You live in a seriously strange place, marching bands in the parking lot? Ok, maybe you weren't meant to get any work done, so go with the flow. Tomorrow, and tomorrow....

tomshideaway said...

I must send you something I wrote a long...long time ago whilst in "A Park" getting ready to begin the elusive book...

Jazz said...

I think hellhole is a fascinating place...

Tim Rice said...

You lead an interesting life. Nothing leaves you live in peace. ;) By the way, I think you have talent in the way you tell your stories. It's fun reading.

Jocelyn said...

I'm sure you've named other things in your life, outside of your pup and your computers and your brain.

soooooo, what else have you named?

Nicki said...

The swamp park sounds crappy, but dude, a random marching band? I'm coming to visit.

choochoo said...

Hagelrat - the universe is rarely subtle, I've discovered.

Big brother - I know. Hellhole is weird...

Tom - oh yeah, I liked that.Very true:D

Jazz - imagine how absurd my life would be if I lived somewhere civilized.

Tim - jupp. My life is odd and interesting.

Joelyn - you'll see. Patience, grasshopper. Patience.

Freak magnet - I'll roll out the red carpet. It might have dog fur on it, but the mud in the yard'll cover that nicely.