This is my 3000th post on this blog! The big round number crept up on me a little unexpectedly, and I wanted to do something special and lengthy for it, but then I'll probably want to write something about Doctor Who tonight, and it'll probably not be very good, so I thought I should write a three thousandth post before it's on.
But it seems a good opportunity to announce something I've felt reluctant to tell people, possibly worried that they won't think I'm cool - I've been officially diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, although it's not really causing me any serious symptoms and isn't likely to in the future. But if I mention it here, and people still don't know about it if it comes up in conversation, that'll be because they haven't read my blog. And if they haven't read my blog, that means they aren't cool!
Largely unrelated to that, I fell down last week and emulated Augustus Carp's father, who in the process of denouncing the new lectern at his church injured his knee and suffered "extremely severe contusions of both his larger gluteal muscles". This made me want to read the book again, and recommend it to anyone who hasn't heard of it - "Augustus Carp, Esq, by Himself"
Published anonymously in 1924, it was written by Dr Henry Howarth Bashford, and it's hilarious. Funnily enough, it's only on this latest reading I noticed that Augustus is 47 years old at the time he's writing his autobiography, meaning he's exactly a hundred years older than me. I think I should be emulating him more - by the time he got to that age, he'd long since "commenced his life's afternoon", and despite having lost his job despite all the pious blackmail and swindling he'd used to get it, has married into enough wealth to live comfortably as "sidesman, churchwarden, Sunday School superintendent and secretary of the Glee Club, no less than as President of the St Potamus Purity League". It's an example we should all follow!
