Tuesday, October 2

 

 

The temperature had dropped again and I had my gloves on before I had even sat on the bike. I stood on the metro and then met Maria at the tram stop. We chatted about Nordic networks until the journey ended.

I had a conversation with Fred that alarmed me, and led me to skype Jutta, who didn’t answer. I turned back to my new, improved version of Simply Stupid. Jutta then appeared online and we chatted, and I realised that my fears (while not groundless) could prove helpful and even inspirational if we agreed our approach.

We agreed to meet tomorrow. The transport workers, shop workers, and other service workers might strike tomorrow, so Jutta said that she could collect me if necessary. Coming from Sippo through East Helsinki takes about ten minutes longer than her usual route, and if the strike actually happens then all routes will take an unusually long time anyway. If the journey takes long enough then we can have the meeting in the car.

I received an acceptance from the CCE conference in Tampere in November for my paper called The Zulu Meme, Nathalie approved enthusiastically, and so sometime soon I will have to actually write it. It offers publication points, so everyone will feel happy.

At 17:00 I joined a Jitsi meeting with Aga, Andrew, Ilpo and Oliver where we discussed how we could take what we had learned from the Social Tools festival and introduce it to the rest of Pixelache. I objected to the way the discussion turned yet again to strategies for changing the structure of the group and suggested that we should simply offer to contribute to the content or the structure of the festival that a group has begun organising for May 2019.

I promised to write to Alan, Sasha, Steve and Vishnu tomorrow to offer to make a contribution.

Now I have left the building. To my horror it has started raining. I walk through drizzle to the tram stop where I just miss a tram. I stand in the increasing rain and photograph the dull unpleasantness. Five minutes later a tram arrives.

By the time I get off at the metro station the rain will have almost stopped. By the time I get to Puotila it will have formed a light drizzle. I will use my bicycle lights for the first time since Spring.

Irma and I will spend some of the evening ironing while talking about various family matters.

We have to get rid of all the dairy and meat based products in the house before I can start my doctor-advised diet, and so I will have to eat eight sausages for supper. I will then have to stay up reading to let them digest before I lay down to sleep.

Roll on, vegetables!