Recursive Words

The life and times of a work-from-home software and web developer as he fights a house, four women, two cats, idiocy, apathy and procrastination on an almost daily basis.

Category: life

  • Lights in the Sky

    One of the current WordPress writing prompts asks “what historical event fascinates you the most ?” Where to begin? When I was young I was a huge science fiction fan. I read all manner of books by the likes of Arthur C Clarke, Isaac Asimov and Robert Heinlein, and consumed a steady diet of whatever…

  • Quiet Days Vogon Poetry and Impossible Creaters

    After spending so many years surrounded by chaos at home, it always feels a little bit odd when travelling to find life suddenly becalmed. So much so that I slept in this morning. I can’t remember the last time I slept through until 9 in the morning – especially as the clocks changed last night…

  • The Journey West

    After a wonderfully unplanned night out with friends last night, we scraped ourselves out of bed this morning, threw clothes into travel bags, and set off towards Wells in Somerset – a small town near Glastonbury. After a somewhat eventful journey spent partly behind a tractor for ten miles of winding countryside roads, we eventually…

  • An Accidental Writer

    Today’s WordPress writing prompt asks what alternative career paths you have considered, or are interested in. I’ve always loved the act of writing. I would never claim to be particularly good at it – passable maybe – but have always loved the act of sitting down and emptying my head into a keyboards, an paper…

  • Long Weekend

    The clock ticked into Friday ten minutes ago, and you find me almost giddy with the prospect of not returning to work until Tuesday next week. A long weekend away. Don’t get me wrong – I love the project I’m working on at the moment, but it’s been all-consuming for months now – renting out…

  • While Making Other Plans

    In early 2006, after discovering I have a rare genetic defect, after a third and final unsuccessful attempt at IVF, and after gazing into the yawning crater that had once been our bank account, we resigned ourselves to either never having children, or perhaps, maybe talking about adoption. We had always liked the idea of…

  • Round in Circles

    Sunday Earlier this year – at home – I switched my phone from a Google Pixel to an Apple iPhone, my desktop computer from a PC to a Mac mini, my laptop from a Chromebook to a MacBook, and my tablet from a Fire Tablet to an iPad. I wrote about it at the time…

  • Half Past My Bedtime

    The clock ticked past midnight ten minutes ago. You find me sitting in the dark of the junk room, perched in front of the Mac with a mug of coffee while Joni Mitchell sings “Both Sides Now”. Scratch that. Tony Bennet is now crooning his way through “The Way You Look Tonight”. I’ve always loved…

  • One Foot in Front Of The Other

    Today’s writing prompt asks what principles define how you live. I wouldn’t say I necessarily have many principals – but I have coping mechanisms. I don’t tend to look back, and I don’t tend to panic too much about what might be. Sure, I might have the occasional falling down moment, as anybody else does…

  • A Step Back in Time

    We attended the party of a wonderful friend yesterday evening to help celebrate her 50th birthday. The invitation requested 80s themed fancy dress. Her costume resurrected her exact look from a student photo during the era – wearing a Wham t-shirt, denim jacket, huge plastic jewellery, and layers of various neon coloured gauze. Oh –…

  • One Virtual World

    Today’s WordPress writing prompt asks who you might give a million dollars to, if you had a million dollars to give away. I wouldn’t give it to an individual, and I wouldn’t give it to an organisation or charity, because I see far too many top-heavy charities where a sizeable portion of the donations pay…

  • Decompression

    I’m having a “night off” tonight. Trying to slow down. Listening to music. Noodling around with this and that on the Mac. Not really achieving anything, and not worrying too much about that. It’s harder than it sounds. So much of my life is dictated by struggling from one thing to the next. While eating…