Richard Wright

The last couple of weeks have been busy, and I’ve barely found time to write, let alone write here. Sorry about that. Not only am I looking after Kirsty and Eva, but have also had to conduct minor repairs on the house after having a new floor fitted. I’ve been going to bed very tired indeed.

Kirsty is much improved, although it could be as long as three months before her hands and arms are pain free, and she’s still on an exciting cocktail of medication in the interim. It is almost a certainty that much of what she has been told by her doctor has been invented to suit, as the nervous system is a topic that seems to create a fluttering panic in medical professionals. They named her condition with something beginning with a ‘neuro’ and ending with something that was clearly made up on the spot in an effort to sound knowledgeable. What it comes down to is that the nerves endings and associated muscles in her neck are in shock, and doing crazy shit, man.

None of which prevented us from having our old laminate wood flooring torn up last weekend, and replaced with lovely, rustic oak floorboards. It looks very nice indeed. Unfortunately the sub-contractors doing the fitting left the house in something of a shambles, the most noticeable problem that our ground floor interior doors no longer fitted in the spaces they were supposed to.

I have never claimed to be a skilled handyman (or if I have I don’t remember it, and it was probably only to get laid, and I apologise unreservedly to anybody foolish enough to have fallen for that in the first place – I’m hardly the rugged, workman type). My skills lie elsewhere. While I’ve made myself useful throwing sets together for theatre, it’s hardly the same thing as proper, lasting DIY, designed to be lived alongside for years.

Yet I took a plane to the doors, in an effort to make them smaller. Smaller they now are, although aesthetically the effect is aligned more towards comedy relief than refined elegance. There is clearly a reason why people are paid to be good at this sort of thing, and further reasons why I am not one of those people.

Yet the downstairs looks lovely. A few touch-ups with paint, to cover various scrapes and knocks the workmen left, and we should be done.

At some point in the last couple if weeks, Summer has decided to happen all at once in Glasgow. This is rather a shame for Spring, which had been waiting in the wings while Winter dragged on, and has now missed its opportunity to do a turn. Perhaps it did sneak briefly on stage while I was otherwise engaged, but I haven’t noticed it at all. Very perplexing. We can only hope that it does decide to push its way on between Summer and Autumn, or worse, Autumn and Winter, and waits its turn until next year. Things could become extremely confusing, otherwise.

There is an unusual glut of engrossing television attention distracting what little free time I have. I am particularly enjoying the following…

24 - Despite having missed seasons three and four, I’ve had no problem jumping into season five, and it’s every bit as riveting as I remember. As far as I can tell, Kiefer / Jack Bauer and his daughter are actually the only surviving characters from the first series, which is an invigoratingly high death toll for a regular series.

Lost - What can I say? I have absolutely no idea what’s happening, but I’m in love with my ignorance. Now it could be the case that, as the series progresses, it jumps the shark, but right now I’m loving the journey. It’s drama at its most intelligent. I’ve just watched the fourth episode of the new series, and the pace is bewildering. Normally it takes several episodes for characters to have a half thought about perhaps doing something a few episodes later, but these four have moved at breakneck speed. No doubt it will slow to its usual, mystifying crawl soon enough.

Doctor Who – The second series is running in the UK at the moment, David Tennant’s first as the titular Doctor, and it’s an amazing ride. I loved the (now BAFTA winning) first series, but this could have it beat. I’m continually impressed with how sophisticated the programme is, while still operating within a ‘family audience’ time slot. Last week’s episode, The Girl in the Fireplace I think, was beautiful. Time and space haven’t been this entertaining for years.

House - I’ve only just started to watch this, as I thought I would never again be able to sit through a medical drama. Hugh Laurie compels me though. It’s almost a one-man show, with the most delicious character, and scripts that keep surprising me with splendid lines of dialogue.

The Apprentice – The final episode of the UK version (infinitely superior in every way to the US, by the way) was last night, so that’s at least one evening time slot cleared. The belligerent, aggressive Sir Alan Sugar is the lord of the boardroom, and Michelle Dewberry was the right winner. Her opponent, The Badger, would never have been taken seriously in the business world after the show, despite her terrifying demeanour. I mean, even she refers to herself as The Badger. It hardly strikes terror into the hearts of your professional adversaries, does it?

But coming up in the next couple of months…

The US Apprentice Season 3 – not as good as the UK, but still compelling

Big Brother – I will hate myself, but get addicted to it anyway

And time is so precious, too…