As some of you are aware, a few weeks ago – and rather unexpectedly -- the medicos decided that they would finally get around to sorting my cataracts.
They did the first one some weeks back and that left me in the rather frustrating position of being able to see Sweet FA. My old spectacles were useless for my new right eye and the cataract in my left meant I could see SFA with them on anyway.
I have been writing though; quite literally relying on screen resolutions you wouldn’t believe on a twenty-two inch monitor and spell and grammar checkers to attempt to make some sense out of what I was actually typing.
I had a rather strange… well, I suppose you’d call it a depth perception (or positional awareness) problem that led to me typing some very odd key combinations. Up one row and offset one key to the right most of the time that I wasn’t actually looking at the keyboard. I’m not what is often would describe as a “touch-typist” at the best of times.
Add to that, the fact that I could still hardly see what was on the ruddy monitor anyway, it’s been and interesting few weeks, I can assure you!
By the way, I couldn’t see the TV either. All very boring, so that’s why I struggled along with the computer. Come to think of it, I wonder where ‘she who must be obeyed’ has stashed my laptop? I had no chance with that bugger even with the lowest resolution I could set the thing at.
But as some folks will have noticed, I did manage to post a couple of tales, but they were a labour of love!
Now that I can see the screen again, I’ve got to decide whether to sort-out all the rest of the junk I’ve been writing of late. Or, get back into the final chapters of several much longer tales I’ve been working on for months. I could only read through the already written parts to discover where I’d got to with the aid of a magnifying glass and that was a frustrating protracted operation. The ‘Bugger this for a game of soldiers!’ attitude soon took precedence. So I went for new shorter tales instead.
It must have been frustrating for my proofreaders though; they have read (or been promised) most of the stories and have been left hanging on the last chapters.
I suppose it’s a warning to others, not to write several yarns at the same time; as has always been my habit.
I’d like to thank everyone who wrote to me about ‘In Dreams’ and Peter, June and the Whatevers!’ I’m sorry that I didn’t acknowledge or reply to all of you. I’ll try to do much better in future.
As for my eyesight it is now pretty good and appears to be improving by the hour. It looks like I’m still going to need spectacles though, and they are a good month or so away. Whatever, I’m going to attempt to get back to my magic 3,000 words a day over the next few weeks. So hopefully I’ll be posting much more regularly.
Oh, one other point. There’s a rather disagreeable old goat who lives somewhere in the south-eastern quarter of the USA. By coincidence he’s also had his cataracts fixed almost in parallel to mine. We’ve both had our operations within days of each other. Now we’re sharing the sorting-out exactly what we can see part of the game together. It takes quite a few days for everything to settle down.
Regards DC
Message for obohobo (or anyone who personally knows him or is possibly in email contact with him.)
Would obohobo kindly contact one of my Sol feedback e-mail addresses at his earliest convenience?
I will respect and guarantee confidence where your e-mail address is concerned. (The Wanderer is known for keeping his word!)
I am in possession of (what I feel is) an important message from a third party, that I really do need to pass on to obohobo, soonest! Like yesterday, mate!
DC Aka Denham Forrest, The Wanderer
Cornwall, UK
“In Dreams” appears to have gone down far better with the readers than I had expected it would.
Excepting of course for the little glitch that caused me to have to post chapter two twice. We still do not know where all of those ruddy hyphens originated by the way! Or, why they did not materialise on Sol’s sister site.
My thanks go to all of you who wrote to me about the tale. I’m sorry that I haven’t got back to everyone, but I’m in a little bit of a 2’n’8 here! (That’ll get some of the colonials scratching their heads, I’m sure!)
The reason for that is, I’m less than a quarter of the way through getting my cataracts fixed. One new lens has been fitted. A lens that I can actually see through quite well; but regretfully my close vision through it, is not as perfect as it could be. I will need spectacles even after the other lens has been replaced.
Generally I can see far better now than I have done for many years. But at present, my sight as far as using the computer is concerned (and watching the TV, by the way), is absolute complete crap!
I’m struggling along, by using 1980’s screen resolutions on large HD monitors and sometimes even then resorting to a magnifying glass as well. And regretfully I can’t last very long in one hit; so plenty of long breaks from the screen looking at pretty vistas and distant horizons are called for. Kind-a messes things up even more when your active day is limited anyway.
Funny though -- when you’ve had cataracts for a while -- you forget just how beautifully colourful this world of ours is. Seems I’ve been looking at it through a thick white mist for the last… god knows how many years.
Anyway, I posted ‘In Dreams’ at this time, because I had promised a couple of people that I would be putting several new stories up shortly after Christmas. Most of the others are longer tales, but the final chapters of all of them have had to go onto hold for a while. There’s too much rereading involved making sure that I haven’t repeated myself, or forgotten anything. And everyone should know by now, that I no longer post any part of a tale until the whole thing is complete and ready to post.
However, there is one other new Denham Forrest tale hiding away on the Internet. Its called ‘Shut Up and Drive!’ And anyone who wishes to track the tale down, can find it by visiting Papatoad’s blog through his author page on this site. Then click on the address for Papatoad’s stories and then just follow your inquisitive nose.
“Shut Up And Drive!” will appear on this site in roughly one month’s time; all other things being equal of course! I still don’t know how the rest of this eye surgery is going to go.
DC
Yeah well, I’d better explain myself.
I haven’t been writing much (if anything) of late. We have had a reasonable summer this year and… well, I had to get on with some stuff that didn’t get done last year because the weather it was so foul.
As most folks know, my active days are somewhat shorter than most peoples so there was little in the way of energy left to do much else. Yes, typing does use a surprising amount of energy, and besides after undertaking a little strenuous physical work, my arms and hands hurt too much to bash away ion this keyboard. Besides that, I kept falling asleep. Folks who know ME will probably understand where I’m coming from here.
But the summer now seems to be over and as my pal in Alabama appears to have gotten (American word that bugger, still don’t sound or look right to me; so what’s new?) his finger out and posted a couple of new tales. I figure that I’d better get down to some serious writing myself. And thereby hangs a big problem!!!!!
It would appear that some forgetful old bugger, has lost all of his proofreaders email addresses… Don’t ask, please? It’s embarrassing enough to say that I’ve er… well I’ve managed to effectively delete my email and address book folders… again!!!!
Therefore I humbly request that the folks who were on my proof-reader list (and who wish to remain on it) and anyone else who wishes to join the afflicted… please send me your email addresses again ASAP.
DC