Tuesday, November 20
Shower room, 20:42
Yesterday Irma slept while I got up, because she knew she would work late. Today she did the same. She had left me some presents. I left her a card suggesting that we open our presents this evening. I then left the bike at home, which I should have done yesterday, and set off to Puotila on foot.
The weather had turned very cold indeed. My phone said three degrees.
I spent the morning trying to work on my paper for Hamburg. This proved easier in theory than in practice, as the voices of several others echoed around the open office, in various kinds of discontent.
I eventually left for a brief walk to the mall and back with Jutta. I didn’t really need anything, but I did need to clear my head.
At 13:15 I started the CMS class which, this week consists of two surgeries in which I attempt any students who find themselves stuck in their project. This proceeded as I expected. Like a fireman I sat there for some time with nothing to do, and then I leaped up to put out several different fires in different parts of the room. I managed to get some students further forward. I also realised that, for some reason, some students cannot seem to use Foundation (or the responsive grid system we used previously) without immediately ignoring it. They act like someone leaping out of their car, having refused to turn the ignition key, yelling, “But I know how to get to the supermarket. I may as well just push the car there”.
I detoured into Stockmann on the way home and got Irma an advent calendar from Biotherm. I had intended to get the Lumene calendar but I noticed that this contained six make-up items, which she would probably not want. I had also abandoned the Body Shop calendar, because I have memories of buying presents there and discovering later that they fit the wrong skin type.
I also got a card which said 19 and repurposed it from birthday to anniversary.
Irma arrived home about 19:00 and we celebrated our nineteenth anniversary. She gave me some Calvin Klein fragrance and some Nivea skin cream.
After my shower I go back to the shower room and notice the outside lights beaming through the steamy window. I rush for a camera. Then I rush for another. On this occasion the iPad produces a much more interesting image than my phone.