Bored, bored, bored...

[Mike G]

I can't do an awful lot other than sit & lie down. I've read, and read, sketched in my notebook, and watched some TV and Youtube clips. I've worked my way through a puzzle magazine. I do my exercises, and I lie down. I can't get into a good position to be able to draw on the computer, and I cleared most of my work anyway. I won't be able to get out to the workshop for a while, and even then, all I'll be able to do is sharpen some chisels and tidy up a plane. Anything which involves two hands and standing up means being propped against something, and not for long. I can't cook, unless all the ingredients are brought to me in one place. Knitting, macrame, crochet-ing.........there must be something I can do to save my sanity!

 

[Dr.Al]

I can't do an awful lot other than sit & lie down. I've read, and read, sketched in my notebook, and watched some TV and Youtube clips. I've worked my way through a puzzle magazine. I do my exercises, and I lie down. I can't get into a good position to be able to draw on the computer, and I cleared most of my work anyway. I won't be able to get out to the workshop for a while, and even then, all I'll be able to do is sharpen some chisels and tidy up a plane. Anything which involves two hands and standing up means being propped against something, and not for long. I can't cook, unless all the ingredients are brought to me in one place. Knitting, macrame, crochet-ing.........there must be something I can do to save my sanity!

Sounds horrible, you have my sympathy.

Whittling?

 

[AndyP]

Have you got, can you borrow a wheelchair Mike? Would it help you to get around, the ground floor at least, of your house and perhaps sitting at a table to do stuff with your hands?

 

[Mike G]

I'm mobile Andy. But I'll be on two crutches for 6 weeks. That rather occupies your hands! As for sitting.......it has to be on a raised chair seat with two arms, otherwise I can't get myself back up. I can't "hotch" a chair along whilst sitting in it, so can't sit properly at a table.

 

[RogerS]

Cryptic crosswords. Steve Maskery and I both do the Telegraph daily.

 

[Tiresias]

Well, if you won’t read fiction…

Teach yourself to play a musical instrument. I’m biased, but the sax is easy to get a tune out of (but difficult to play well). If you can sit up, a straight soprano. And you can do the intro to a Haircut 100 hit. That is not, in itself, a reason to do it, mind you. Or an alto (my favourite). Or a uke, and annoy everyone from now to kingdom come.

Orrrr. You could just have a rest. I think you probably deserve it.

 

[Mike G]

Well, if you won’t read fiction…

I may have to have a little re-think on that.

Teach yourself to play a musical instrument...........

Brilliant! Bagpipes. It's got to be bagpipes.

 

[Lurker]

Well, if you won’t read fiction…

I may have to have a little re-think on that.

Teach yourself to play a musical instrument...........

Brilliant! Bagpipes. It's got to be bagpipes.

I can see the headlines

Ex cricketer found murdered with his own bat.
Wife says she couldn’t help it.

 

[novocaine]

I Spent two weeks recovering after a hernia op recently ( oct).

I taught myself to knit. In that two weeks I made a scarf and a hat, ive since made another hat a two pairs of mitts.

Yer ok it not exactly masculine, but it's proven to be interesting and it's nice to have another skill. Especially one I can do by a fire when I get back out camping.

Edit, should also add that in the second week when mobile again u rebuilt a seiko5 watch. But I wouldn't suggest anyone do that who has any sanity.

 

[Mike G]

Excellent, Dave. That's superb.

 

[Malc2098]

Knit one, purl one, blimey that takes me back!

 

[AJB Temple]

I have the solution! We still need our chimney fixing and I am happy to be very patient with you clambering up our roof again whilst I make soup and sustenance. There is 6" of snow on the roof, but that is a minor obstacle.

Or....become an artist. You can already draw, so now learn to paint.

Or write that book that the world is waiting for.

 

[Pete Maddex]

Welcome to my world Mike.

I am stuck in a leg brace until mid march.
I can’t sit at the computer as I have to keep my leg straight luckily I have a laptop, I need a stool to rest my leg on at the dining table.
I have loads of things round the house to do and can spot things that are going to problems but I can’t do anything it’s more frustrating than a frustrating thing.

I didn’t expect to rupture my quadriceps tendon so I am halfway a few things like my cd rack and other stuff.
All my records are on the bottom shelf so getting to them Is difficult, well standing up is the difficult bit.
So it’s cds for the moment.

Pete

 

[RogerS]

....
So it’s cds for the moment.

Pete

Sign up to Qobuz, Pete.

 

[Pete Maddex]

....
So it’s cds for the moment.

Pete

Sign up to Qobuz, Pete.

I prefer to have a physical copy of my music it’s part of the fun tracking down obscure cds.

Pete

 

[RogerS]

....
So it’s cds for the moment.

Pete

Sign up to Qobuz, Pete.

I prefer to have a physical copy of my music it’s part of the fun tracking down obscure cds.

Pete

Yebbut....you're not very mobile. Treat Qobuz as your search agent.

 

[Peri]

Going out on a limb here, at first glance it might not appeal, it's a computer game.

(I discovered it when I was out of action for 3 months with kidney stones)

No killing, shooting or fast reactions needed.

You start with a couple of bits of metal and some coal.....you make a furnace....you make steel.....more furnaces...ore-miners.....wires...circuits....conveyor belts.....more furnaces for more steel.....get a train delivery network set up........before you know it 3 days have gone by and you forgot to go to sleep.

[youtubessl]J8SBp4SyvLc[/youtubessl]

Lots of Youtubers guides, including the excellent Nilaus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8SBp4SyvLc

 

[Andy Kev.]

IMO how you cope with enforced idleness depends on how your mind works. I had a two week lay off after a knee op at the start of the year. I divided the "working day" into hours and had a timetable e.g. an hour of this, an hour of that e.g. I decided to find out a bit about how the universe works, so a few hours were spent on the basics of cosmology (go on: ask me one about galaxies), then there was woodworking of course with a systematic reading of parts of the LAP's books of Charles Haywards stuff, then fiction and history. And don't forget Killer Su Doku (which has got nothing to do with Japanese saws). Despite your preference for non-fiction, it might be an idea to tackle a novel or two which you never got around to. The two volume Penguin Book of English Short Stories might be worth a go.

This made flopping in front of the telly in the evenings more bearable. There's also loads of stuff on YouTube to back up the "studying" stuff. I hope that is of some use.

 

[Mike G]

Welcome to my world Mike.

I am stuck in a leg brace until mid march........

Nightmare, Pete. I know exactly what you're going through, but I'll be fully mobile an awful lot quicker than you.

 

[novocaine]

If you want fiction to read try the three body problem or seven eves.

If you want to stay in the non fiction section you could try

or join me on the knitting bench as already suggested, it's surprisingly easy and with the bit of lateral thinking, dirt cheap thanks to charity shops and people trying then giving up.

 

[Cabinetman]

SIf you are going to try fiction Mike, you could try Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe series, the first three? are set in India but after that each one is based around an actual Napoleonic/ Peninsular battle, he tries to keep the facts of the battle accurate whilst slotting in the misfit Rifleman, my go to re-read. Ian

 

[Mike G]

IMO how you cope with enforced idleness depends on how your mind works. I had a two week lay off after a knee op at the start of the your. I divided the "working day" into hours and had a timetable e.g. an hour of this, an hour of that e.g. I decided to find out a bit about how the universe works.......

That's very disciplined, Andy. There is much merit in that, I think. I'll have a little ponder as to what to adapt. In some way, I am doing something of the same thing. I have focussed on mediaeval misericords (folding carved seats in churches and abbeys), and on dating buildings well outside of my normal range. My first degree was in environmental science, and I have rekindled a long held interest in geomorphology in the last couple of days.

This made flopping in front of the telly in the evenings more bearable.

One of my biggest annoyances at the moment is that I can't flop at all. I have to sit in a hard chair with solid arms, or I can't get up again. The surgeons are insistent on a number of rules that hip patients have to obey, and the "90+ degrees between torso and thigh" is quite limiting.

[/quote] I hope that is of some use.[/quote]

Very much, thank you.

 

[AJB Temple]

Had to look up geomorphology to check whether what I thought it meant is anywhere close.

One of the things I found when I had my "chucked out of digger cab incident" was that enforced immobility of a limb results in remarkably sharp and rapid loss of muscle mass. If I had realised that more clearly at the time I would have tried to find some exercises to combat it.

 

[Tiresias]

If you want fiction to read try the three body problem or seven eves.

You actually liked Seveneves? I think it’s one of his worst. I believe he started it a long time before it was published. And it shows. Bitty, and incoherent in parts. He is not a man to let his research show lightly (qua the Baroque Cycle).

Snowcrash and Cryptonomicon, even Zodiac are better. Anathem and Reamde best left for later.
But if we are recommending fiction for MikeG (which he specifically didn’t want) I’m not sure hard sf is the way to go.

Someone recommended the Sharpe novels. I find them rather formulaic. Or rather the writing is formulaic. In roughly the same period O’Brian’s Aubrey/Maturin series is better I think. Provided you get the sense of humour. The early books are, to an extent, based on Cochrane. Whose heir was a client of mine when I was in practice, and a street down the hill from my place is named after his title.

Still, we all have different tastes.

 

[novocaine]

You actually liked Seveneves? I think it’s one of his worst. I believe he started it a long time before it was published. And it shows. Bitty, and incoherent in parts. He is not a man to let his research show lightly (qua the Baroque Cycle).

Snowcrash and Cryptonomicon, even Zodiac are better. Anathem and Reamde best left for later.
But if we are recommending fiction for MikeG (which he specifically didn’t want) I’m not sure hard sf is the way to go.

[/quote]
Funny enough I rather disliked snowcrash and found the disconnect and often random dropping in of irrelevant story lines or excessive call backs difficult to follow. so much so that I haven't returned to him for Cryptonomicon yet, but I probably will at some point. I wonder if it's down to when snowcrash was written as quite often I found the imagined future to be simply inaccurate now (in 92 I was just starting high school ) really shows that it does take all sorts.

the reason I suggested these (granted hard SF) was the basis often in fact rather than in imagination.

off topic, sorry folks.

 

[Lurker]

Maybe you chaps who a laid up could design a “chair” or other accessories, to aid recovery.

 

[Tiresias]

Funny enough I rather disliked snowcrash and found the disconnect and often random dropping in of irrelevant story lines or excessive call backs difficult to follow. so much so that I haven't returned to him for Cryptonomicon yet, but I probably will at some point. I wonder if it's down to when snowcrash was written as quite often I found the imagined future to be simply inaccurate now (in 92 I was just starting high school ) really shows that it does take all sorts.

the reason I suggested these (granted hard SF) was the basis often in fact rather than in imagination.

off topic, sorry folks.

Well, I’m not sure it is off topic. MikeG is bored and wants diversions. We could start a sf thread, but it probably would be just you and me trading book titles.

I am also not sure that the inaccuracy of the predictions is a valid criticism. One doesn’t read ‘War of the Worlds’ because of its scientific basis.

Still, some got pretty close. Early Gibson is quite prescient; later books a bit slack.

And in ‘92 I was just starting out in the world of paid employment. Well that wasn’t fun. So I am a bit older than you. Dunno if that makes a difference.

 

[Mike G]

....... In roughly the same period O’Brian’s Aubrey/Maturin series is better I think......

Great suggestion, it seems. Having had a read around for a while on this series I can't begin to imagine why I didn't read them as a lad, when historical/ adventure/ seafaring novels were standard fare for me. My biggest regret when my father died was not getting his copy of "By Stroke of Sword" (Balfour?), which I'd devoured eagerly as a youngster. My heathen brothers sent it off to a charity shop, along with "Jock of the Bushveld", "The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci", and various other classics from my childhood.

I'll order the first of the O'Brian series, and, who knows, may read through them in order.

 

[AndyP]

I had to look up geomorphology as well. I got on well with the definition until i saw bathymetric which I then had to look up only to be equally stumped when I came across hypsometry. Learnt a lot today. Thanks

 

[Mike G]

.......off topic, sorry folks.

Not in the slightest, Dave. That's what topics like this (in Woodmangler's Retreat) are for. Gems emerge in unexpected places, and of course, real-life conversations always flow around in various convoluted directions.

 

[Mike G]

I had to look up geomorphology as well. I got on well with the definition until i saw bathymetric which I then had to look up only to be equally stumped when I came across hypsometry. Learnt a lot today. Thanks

Ah well then, let me introduce you to a Mr Mohorovicic (accents missing), and his Discontinuity. Have fun...... :lol:

 

[Lurker]

Probably a bit lightweight for you, but have you read “the map that changed the world “ you should able to pick up a copy for less than a fiver.

 

[AndyP]

Reading all about the Moho, well the Wiki entry, links nicely with your thread title.

 

[TrimTheKing]

If you liked the O'Brian suggestion then you might like the Flashman books, written by George MacDonald Fraser. The main protagonist is Flashman who was the bully in Tom Brown's School Days, who is written into (in much the same way as Sharpe) many historical battles situations, which you have to suspend your belief in time/space as he could never have been at them all.

Really enjoyable escapism and childhood adventure requirements satisfied.

 

[novocaine]

the Moho. fitting that we haven't bored to even a 1/4 of the way to it. rather nice call back to a previous thread on deepest hole but that doesn't get as close as z-44, only because the crust is thinner.

I've spent to long talking to geologists. :lol:

 

[Mike G]

I suspect that our metallurgy will need to move to another level, so to speak, if we want to ever drill anywhere near Moho's discontinuity.

 

[Pete Maddex]

Ah well then, let me introduce you to a Mr Mohorovicic (accents missing), and his Discontinuity. Have fun...... :lol:

I think I have his first album.


Pete

 

[novocaine]

If you fancy an oddball read find the manual for a WWII tiger tank. It isn't fiction but Elvira adds a certain wunderbar to it.

Afraid it's in German so you'll have to look at the pictures.



Note: I only learned about this today and wanted to share.

 

[toolsntat]

If you fancy an oddball read find the manual for a WWII tiger tank. It isn't fiction but Elvira adds a certain wunderbar to it.

Afraid it's in German so you'll have to look at the pictures.



Note: I only learned about this today and wanted to share.

As far as I remember Oddball didn't know enough to write a manual...

Oddball : Hi, man.

Big Joe : What are you doing?

Oddball : I'm drinking wine and eating cheese, and catching some rays, you know.

Big Joe : What's happening?

Oddball : Well, the tank's broke and they're trying to fix it.

Big Joe : Well, then, why the hell aren't you up there helping them?

Oddball : [chuckles] I only ride 'em, I don't know what makes 'em work.

Big Joe : Christ!

Oddball : Definitely an antisocial type. Woof, woof, woof! That's my other dog imitation.

###CLASSIC###

 

[AndyP]

My all time favourite Christmas film . Thanks for sharing. I hope it is on again this year.