It is 15.30 on what has been a warm sunlit day and I am in a state of bliss, not as triumphal as yesterday, but pleased with myself and life. I have returned from a enjoyable and leisurely hour's walking from one end of North Marine Park, for some reason I have referred to it as North Bents Park over recent days, to the other, and back, photographing most nooks and crannies, and which confirmed that it is a unique park encapsulating everything that a park should have, except for water, which is the main feature of South Marine Park across one main road to the beaches.
There are spectacular views to the opposite bank, out to sea, over the beaches of South Shields and across the tress covered parks, as far as the Marsden lighthouse. The adjacent South Marine Park is also a mixture of beachside flat space, then a gentle climb, and then a more severe climb up a second hill, before going down again to the third park which is on a more flat surface, before there is a gradual climb again to the coastal cliffs and the lighthouse. A feature of the North Marine park is several separate enclosed spaces, and there many different walkways with benches to sit, the areas of flower beds, the vast number of bowling greens, the putting course, the enclosed traditional playground for young children at the top of the hill, and a galleon type frame which attracts many an adventuresome youngster. There I open green space and woodland hill, There is even a Chinese pagoda and several Chinese arches.
I commenced the walk by going a little way up the hill from where I live to the end of the headland to where a couple of ancient cannons guard one bank of the river before it widens into the natural mouth created by the extended north bank with the ruins of Tynemouth Castle and Prior at one end from which below, the pier extends perhaps 500 meters. A rough estimate is that the mouth of the river at the land end between the two piers is also about 500 meters, the same as the length of the park, and that our southern pier must be at least 1000 meters in length.
I entered the park by the wide pathway which gradually descends to road below the hill. This route is often deserted and is where consultants have proposed a restaurant and visitor's centre for the Arbeia Roman fort should be built. At the end of this walk there are the imposing redesigned and rebuilt stairway and pathway which leads to the fort and to where I live.
The hillside is covered with trees and shrubs as is the first part of the park viewed by those coming from car parks adjacent to the river mouth beaches. There is the new yacht club and the newish hotel at the junction between river and river mouth and the collection of sculptures which to day have attracted several visitors.
There are also several small coaches of the types usually designed for the disabled.
There is the first of several partially enclosed areas to sit and picnic on the grass or use one of the fifty or so benches. Continue to the bowls pitches where at one end there is a serious competition between clubs underway. I take photographs of every walkway and view which interests, returning with a climb up the hill, looking at the various vistas backwards and to where the walk commenced. I will leave transferring and then sorting the photos until later.
I write this as the singer songwriter next door practices, so I have turned the sound off from the Test match at Lords. Added bliss.
And now for an account of why I feel so triumphal. I have managed to successfully purchase, assemble and bring into use several new items of complex technology, despite my kack handed technical illiteracy and propensity to make stupid mistakes. It is difficult to decide what was the best achievement, although the complexity and potential risk of making things worse when I incorrectly installed the printer to my new laptop merits highlighting. The mistake occurred when I removed the internet link instead of the printer USB connection and then aborted the software installation unintentionally. Although I then uploaded the driver and the other items of Epson software, the laptop did not show the printer installation. Because the laptop, is fitted with Window media XP, (an amazing buy for £300, considering the number of links, that it is wireless ready and had the basic software already uploaded), the Epson multifunction printer is not included in the list of recognised hardware and there appeared to be no way to reinstall after the mistake. I therefore contacted the manufacturer's, customer service by email and received a quick and detailed response which first horrified. In order to reinstall I had to follow 10 steps which involved going into Window's C operating software and searching for the file in which Epson inserted information about the multifunction printer which had then to be removed. There are 21 files commencing with OEM which had to checked, but I was able to shorten the process by going to highest numbered and presumed last entry, first, and was proven correct.
I will confess that I then made a further mistake with the reinstallation so had to remove everything once more but this time the installation was successful and I can now print when required. Thus I had used a valuable morning.
The second cause of feeling good is that I have acquired an amazing low cost DVD plus player for £45 which plays anything and everything so that I can display any of my 2500000 photos of work secured on CD and DVD. However when I set up the machine I made one mistake so that the output was in black and white. I tried to work out how to repeat the set up process, but it took a phone call to customer service, technical service, to be told the correct sequence of onscreen moves. I celebrated the success by watching the film Inside Man on postal rented DVD and then my own copy of the Phantom of the Opera, in addition to a couple of my photo CD's. This kept me up until 1am but I did then spend an hour at the Big Brother House.
It was not possible to watch DVD's until I had assembled the entertainment/work centre unit. The assembly took about four hours spread over two days because at one point some fitted dowels broke. Fortunately I have a cordless drill with rechargeable batteries and was able to drill out to the right circumference and depth. The instructions advised of the need to have another person assisting and confirming the right steps were being taken. This was excellent advice which I could not follow because I live on my own. The fittings were in a dozen individual packets and working out which were needed when took time. I continue to have difficulty securing the top to the rest of the unit but the weight of the TV appears to have done the trick, but I will have another ago sometime, some time, although when I say this, I rarely ever do. The unit has a drawer, but following the decision to use the unit in my downstairs workroom, and with the new DVD using one shelf, Sky, the second, the lower shelf/draw now houses the video recorder and player.
Connecting four pieces of complex technology to work is a triumph although connecting the fifth/six my desktop and laptop is a challenge for another day.
Originally the new TV was intended to replace that which had ceased to function in my front room where I also have a dual Video /DVD player. The TV was at least ten years of age so that when it only played in black and white I knew it was time for a replacement and to get a 32" digital widescreen. This was not intended to be an immediate purchase, because it is only used to watch DVD's and Videos when I am relaxed and not wanting to multitask, which at the present time is rare.
However I noted a special offer reduction of some £200, and that the TV was equipped with Freeview and could be linked to the PC. I could not resist and bought one when the doors first opened on Monday morning at the local Argos. As I do not have an aerial connection in the front room I decided to set up in the work room and immediately knew I had made a mistake, because as soon as I saw the quality of the picture and realised the potential of the technology, it became my main use TV screen, and my existing set, which belonged to my mother, was moved to the front room.
The TV has been set up to show terrestrial channels and Freeview digital using the same aerial from which two other sets (in the day room, and the top double bed room. The picture is perfect from the existing aerial, helped by a location on a hill. The free view option includes a range of radio stations and is a good standby if Sky fails. Sky is obtained by pressing the first AV channel button and this is also the channel for play/record to the video. The second AV channel is used for the multifunction DVD and there are two channels for linking to a PC, one in and one out, as well as to any separate audio system(s). However I think the sound is better that my existing audio system which will be moved to the front room.
There was also a problem with the TV purchase, not the equipment as a free three year extended warranty was offered. I was told there would be a leaflet in the box explaining that the warranty request had to be returned within 45 days. I could not find the leaflet or the receipt although I had those for the DVD player, the housing unit and for a surge control multi plug board. I returned the following day, obtained a printed copy of the receipt and the leaflet.
Although I am using additional energy I am operating both the desk and lap top computers as part of my work station. When writing I constantly need to check references, or search for information on the internet so now the lap top will be used just for the internet, including myspace operations, enabling me to search and transfer information quicker. It also means that there will be only limited information on the laptop in the event of its being stolen on away trips, however few I make in practice.
I intend to switch to wireless although I suspect I will not be able to also transmit Sky to the other TV sets in the house at the same time.
Thus I am equipped to embark on the second stage of my work programme which I have changed to suit my present outlook and interests.
The first project in this second phase of my work is to complete the uploading of photographs to the myspace profile, This will involve two tasks; checking through many of the several hundred disks of recorded work and scanning photographs. The latter task was planned two years ago, as part of the main 101 project, but I wanted to make progress in the main work of creating cards of revisited past work and experience. The task of checking and scanning will take a year as there are about 1000 slides and several packs of negatives as well as hundreds of photographs from five decades be added. I will put a preliminary section of photos on my space to 101 for each category and then add and delete as I find better examples of what I want to portray. Much of the material is confidential as the photos are of living individuals, or who may still be living.
This is activity for evenings into the early hours, My main early morning project activity is to be a novel 2007/2008, based on a novel written in 992 /1993 but not published, and as a consequence this puts back the autobiography for publication as the main project for another year. I am also delaying the plan to try and exhibit 9.3.39, the 101 copies of a printed autobiography 101 in black and white with 101 photographs and 101 statements about the work
However overriding both work activities is the need to reduce my weight and improve fitness levels, and enjoy whatever summer there is and cultural activities, especially those that are free! I am also debating how much time is to be devoted to outstanding 101 project work in hand with some 35 volumes varying for single to sets to folders holding six to eight sets underway. About a third of these only need to be photographed so these may be progressed while I watch TV, but I know from experience that once I become involved with major project and I make progress and enjoying the product, it is difficult to break away and do anything else, and that includes sleep, certainly exercising and where the temptation is to rush meal making and food consumption. I am more optimistic about my present resolution, being able to took on the completion of over 150000 main work cards, the 250000 photographs, 400 page printed autobiography, a 200 page family history with photographs and a 100 page album of text and photos marking the 100 birthday of my mother.
The emphasis of this second phase is to achieve quality rather than quantity.
I have continued the celebratory mood with a mean of two chunks of steak lashed with mustard, a mixture of vegetables and a double portion of fruit, deep red sweet cherries followed by slices of fresh pineapple and slices strawberries. Yesterday the celebratory fruit was similar after a massive mound of stir fried rice, within which were pieces of chicken, ham and chirozo with red peppers. I found these and left half the rice such was the size of the portion. That's enough self congratulation. I will work on against the background of Evita.
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