pumpkinstrokemarrow

The department to which I had returned had acquired, in my absence, a wonderful computer system to keep one's calendar. First thing each morning, it would print off everybodys' calendars for the day, on thin shiny paper, the sort of thing used by pre-historical copiers, which would then be delivered, by hand, to the waiting in-trays, pending the arrival of their owners. Every meeting had a two letter identification code which enabled the system to include meeting papers in the pack. If it was the first time you had attended a particular meeting, it also thought to include all the back papers. There was something very funny about the identification codes for some of my meetings but I cannot remember what. Maybe, in the way of dreams, one had the sensation, in this case of being funny, but not the cause. Anyway, on the day that I arrived back, this system did not know about me and so I had no calendar.

Down to the place where they printed the things, to find that the printing was done on contraptions which looked rather like those old-fashioned cash registers with a mechanical display at the top, keys in the middle and a drawer at the bottom. (Need to go to an antique shop to buy one these days. Or perhaps the business machine shop in Wilcox Road, SW8. They seem to go in for ancient and modern). So I ask for my calendar and one of these things knocks out the 200 pages of my calendar for a day in a matter of seconds. A wad getting on for two inches thick. Mainly back papers for the meetings I was to start to attend. Take it away to read.

Bit of a puzzle how the calendar is updated. No idea at all how I tell the thing about meetings. We don't seem to have PCs on our desks so there must be some system of filling in little forms and sending them to some central unit for input into the system via snailmail. Deadline of 1500 for a meeting the next day sort of thing. Against the rules to have a meeting which is not in the central calendar. Must have central records. All very cumbersome, although it does generate a fair amount of lower grade work of a decent sort, something which we are getting a bit light on these days. The thought crosses my mind that this is all much more suited to the relatively static timetables of schools than the diaries of the employees of up-to-the-minute, go-getting departments of state.

Then I find myself in a training course. No idea what it was about although I do recall expressing amazement that the PCs on our desks (previous comment about PCs notwithstanding) do not have built in cameras, microphones and loudspeakers. How are we supposed to get our work done with such junk?

Then back to my desk to start creating the files I am going to need for my new job. I was always a great creator of files. Loved all the parephrenalia of file covers, file numbers and registries. Made one feel important. But I usually had lots of unregistered files and was good about getting rid of them when I moved on, always assuming that the inbound chap would not want to read all my rubbish, as he would be too busy creating his own. But then I come across this huge file, bulging with ancient and dusty enclosures which I seem to have carried off from my previous department. A whole lot of stuff about the Beeching closure of local railways - something with which I never had any involvement - personal or professional. The best I can do is that the BH used to go to school on a train which the good doctor killed off and so had to transfer to the buses. But what was I to do with it? Seemed a bit cavalier just to destroy it. But would my old department thank me for bringing it back? Could I be bothered? Wake up.

No idea what triggered all of this. Good part of the material from my world of work, but can't see why it should surface this morning. Perhaps the Russian Visa Saga of which more on another occasion.

Back in the real world, steak and kidney without pie yesterday. One of my better efforts at same. The butcher manages to cut a chunk of chuck steak to within 0.02 pounds of two pounds. Adds a fresh looking ox kidney. I find that there is neither lard nor dripping in the cupboard, so have to settle for starting the chuck steak off in butter. Add kidneys. Add chopped onion. Add about a pint of water. Simmer for a couple of hours. Draw off some liquor and work some corn flour into it. Add back to the stew. Add some chestnut mushrooms (distinguished from the ordinary sort by having pale brown caps and shredding margins to the skins of the caps). Add yesterday's left over potatoes (firm and more or less entire) to warm through. Waste not want not. Serve with boiled carrot chunks (unpeeled) and boiled shredded white cabbage. Good gear. Texture of the steak and kidney gravy spot on, just like in one of those pies you get in fish and chip shops.