Antici... pation

[tamaranth]

Am I alone in viewing the future (my future, really, not the general all-purpose stuff-that's-gonna-happen future) as a featureless expanse, ready to be filled up with Experience, and punctuated by Things To Look Forward To?

I was thinking about this on the train this morning, having run rather low on the Anticipation Stakes recently. Managed to scrape up Verdi's Requiem (3rd November), New Year B-Movie (er, New Year), end of NaNoWriMo, arrival of my Biber CD from Amazon ("11-13 days", yes, have heard that one before). This is better, I should add, than some weeks, when the things I look forward to involve sleep, or absence of migraine, or a drink. But it's not very impressive.

[Poll #368414]

Comments

[green-amber.livejournal.com]

No, I do exactly that. I call it the "Caroline" syndrome (from c early 80s :-) - always being able to say what's on for your next 5 weekends. It's very London actually where there's such a multiplicity of offers. When I moved to the provinces I found I shook it off a bit.
I'd like to live in a Zen now where things just come knocking at my door ; on the other hand it's very inefficient and we're all very short of time and energy these days. I don't quite know what the happy balance is. I am usually at any time looking forward to the next party, the next weekend away, the next foreign trip. Right now I am really trying to have more space in my life - this has been the project since the disastrous summer - so the next weekend away is Novacon, the next foreign trip not till March and I am fairly consistently not coming down to London/Cambridge just for parties (there are ones here but they're never as good :-) and yes life does seem a little flat but OTOH I am much less stressed ..

You touched a nerve.

Anything on in London between Xmas/NY?! I should be around!

[tamaranth.livejournal.com]

I do try to keep a balance and not go out all the time: and quite a few of the things I look forward to aren't of the desperate fun variety, or even especially social in nature. Hate weekends away at present -- they tend either to be grim Plymouth-trips, or something more fun that nevertheless leaves me without solitude or relaxation for too long. Yeah, never satisfied.

[d-floorlandmine.livejournal.com]

Admittedly, it's a cross between looking forward to it, and dreading the day, but ... (and you'd better be there!)

While in the short term, pizza tonight with valkyriekaren, wechsler, meryc and hsw ...

[tamaranth.livejournal.com]

I most certainly shall be there, though don't know if my knees'll be up to whatever you inflict on them!

[d-floorlandmine.livejournal.com]

Madam, I shall attempt not to inflict too much cruelty upon your knees! Or something ... [grin]

[ladymoonray.livejournal.com]

Now, why don't I believe you?

[d-floorlandmine.livejournal.com]

[innocent face]

(Of which I don't have a photo, so you'll have to make do with "simple")

[ladymoonray.livejournal.com]

*giggle*

Be prepared to be besieged with requests, too!

[d-floorlandmine.livejournal.com]

Requests, madam? Requests? I shall be showcasing a carefully hand-crafted setlist of selections, reflecting my extensive experience of making a pain in the ass of myself at events. There shall be no room for variation or error at the speed I shall be flying (by the seat of my pants)! [grin] Also, I'll be coming from college, so I won't be able to bring too vast a swathe of tracks with me ... [grin] In any case, what were the tracks that you wanted to request, and I'll see whether any of them were already on the list. Not of course, that I can be influenced by attractive people. At all. Oh no. Erm ... well ...

[ladymoonray.livejournal.com]

I need time to think these things through! But I'm considering starting a petition to get the proper (i.e. Metallica) version of Enter Sandman played. You could always assist there!

And then there's Lust for Life, I Love Rock'n'Roll, Black Velvet, Temple of Love, and anything by Manuskript. Will that do for now?

*puppy eyes*

[d-floorlandmine.livejournal.com]

Awwww! Lookat da cute moonway! [grin]

Well, I'm planning on playing some Sisters, and there's a version of Lust for Life as well ...

[ajshepherd.livejournal.com]

Probably not alone, actually.
There are things which I look forward to, just not at the moment.
I've not really got anything lined up that I'm counting the days to. I need to get on with those bloody exams, and once they're out of the way I can start planning for my skills test, and that will really be something to look forward to. Although we're now approaching the time of year when crap weather sets in, so that won't be for some time.

[tamaranth.livejournal.com]

Yes, that's it exactly: nothing lined up that I'm counting the days to. How many exams do you have to get through before skills test?

[ajshepherd.livejournal.com]

Four. One I've already failed twice so MUST pass the next time, one I took before so long ago it expired so I have to do it again, the oral one (radio), and one i'm probably going to do next as it's the easiest of the remaining four! Been so frazzled at work lately I've just not felt like spending the night with my nose in a textbook!

[brisingamen.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure most of what I do actually counts as 'social' as it's just PK and myself going to the cinema or lectures or stuff like that, all very arty but I suspect of little interest to anyone else.. And I'm not sure the BSFA meeting counts as, for the most part, it will happen whether or not I turn up, and it won't be deemed in any way remarkable if I don't. So, apart from the fact I'm trying to organise dinner with a friend on Thursday, I can confidently say I haven't got a single social thing in sight, at all, at any point in the foreseeable future. Which is not a thing I'm proud of, but it's how life seems to be these days.

[tamaranth.livejournal.com]

Interesting (given my examples) that nearly everyone has interpreted 'things to look forward to' as 'social events to look forward to' (or, in several comments, to be rather ambivalent about!). For quite a while the thought of The System of the World was keeping me going -- yeah, yeah, sad geek -- and I suppose I'm looking forward to Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell ... and to next sunny warm day on a beach, probably about eight months away ...

[brisingamen.livejournal.com]

I think, on the whole, right now my life is very much about getting through the next day, the next week, the next deadline ... there is no long term right now.

[d-floorlandmine.livejournal.com]

There is such a concept as long term? That one passed me by in the briefing! I feel under-informed!