Friday, Gloomy Friday

 Okay, so we are the very end of the month and it's Friday. February is a difficult month in my line of work, end of months are always difficult, when they come on a Friday they re generally worse. Accursed, accursed 28th of February. I never liked the month all that much, because it seems that every rubbish that happens at work always fall in late February, or thereabout. So two years ago I was at risk of being made redundant. In the end, I managed to get my job back at the last minute. I have been doing well since then, except in the last few months, where it has become more difficult, for various reasons. And now I am again at risk of redundancy. It's not as dire as before, because my wife has a job as well, so we don't depend of my salary. And I have learned to be prepared for the worst, since I got made redundant by the employer I hated during the Covid year. I know how to job hunt in difficult times and I am generally good at interviews. But it makes things a little bit more stressful all the same. I'd rather skip February sometimes.

"Un deux, test": un anniversaire

C'est un anniversaire d'une certaine importance aujourd'hui: le tapais "Un deux, test" le 25 février 2008, commençant ainsi Vraie Fiction. Il était 21:41 quand mon tout premier billet a été publié. Je sais que bloguer est un art assez oublié de nos jours, c'est un peu perdu dans tous les réseaux sociaux, mais je ne m'en lasse pas, même quand je manque un peu d'inspiration.

Dites-le avec un chocolat chaud

Tout d'abord: joyeuse Saint-Valentin à tous. Cette photo a été prise de la page Facebook de Première Moisson: un chocolat chaud choco-framboises. Vendu bien entendu pour la St-Valentin. Ils offrent vraiment des belles affaires pour la journée. Ma femme est une chocolique avouée et je trouve qu'ici le choix pour la Saint-Valentin n'est pas vargeux. Il faudrait vraiment que je célèbre à Montréal un jour.

Aquila and Sherlock

I said it before and I will say it again: Wolfie receives the best mail. A few days ago, he got the latest edition of Aquila Magazine, the magazine with "big ideas for inquisitive kids". So yeah, the February issue is all about forensics, crime investigation and, well, crime fiction, with  Sherlock Holmes on the cover (because well of course). I need to teach him about Sherlock Holmes, by the way, he barey knows him. But anyway, it has lots of fun stuff and it's a pleasure to read together.

Pain aux trois chocolats

Petite nouvelle bouffe et amoureuse sur la page Facebook de Première Moisson: ils ont un pain aux trois chocolats pour février et la St-Valentin. C'est décadent en tab...

Lego Magazine

 Boy the things Wolfie receives by mail. I mean, we don't get all that much mail, but when we do, it is often for Wolfie and, in any case, he receives the coolest mail. So anyway, he received at the beginning of January a Lego magazine. This issue covers January, February and March. Enough, one would hope, to keep him interested for the next two months. But I just like that my son keeps the old and kind of forgotten tradition of receiving a magazine in the mail. It's just nice, you know.

The 29th

 Okay, here we are, today is the 29th of February. A first in.. four years. I don't have much to say about it, except that we are a leap year. February is not my favourite month of the year, not by a long stretch, it usually my worst month job-wise, or at least this is the month I find most difficult. It is also often in February that I receive work-related bad news (or at least it did when I had that job I hated). So yeah, February is short, but I often find it a bit too long for my taste. That said, February is also the month when I started blogging, back in 2008, also on a leap year. So I guess it is not all bad. But anyway, how do you feel about the 29th of February? Does it mean anything to you?

Missed blogging anniversary

 Quick post today, just to mention one thing: I missed my blogging anniversary, which was yesterday. I missed another birthday, then another from the day before, but these two are for two different posts. So anyway, it baffles me, but I missed my blogging anniversary. I have been blogging since the 25th of February 2008. Blogging is a lost art, on social media it looks bleeding ancient, but I happen to love it, so I try to feed Vraie Fiction regularly. So yes, that's it really.I feel like I missed my own birthday.

Le long mois de février

Nous sommes le premier février aujourd'hui et ce sera un long mois de février. Enfin, je parle ici en des termes relatifs: cette année étant bissextile, il aura un jour de plus. Même si le mois est court, je le trouve souvent un peu long. Suis-je seul à le trouver (la plupart du temps) morne et ennuyeux? Cela dit, je vais me répéter: je le préfère aux mois d'été. Toujours est-il qu'un jour de plus à février, ça me permet de vieillir un peu moins vite, alors c'est déjà ça de pris.

15 years of blogging

I forgot to mention something two days ago:the 25th of February was the date of my first post on this blog. I have been blogging for 15 years. To say that I enjoy it is an understatement: I love blogging. Not sure why. There are more modern channels/mediums on social media, but this is the one I love the most. It's like having a personal journal, but for anybody to read, if they are so inclined. When I started Vraie Fiction, I was unemployed, bored and thought I could use my free time like this. It was also a dreary, depressing February, like February often is, so I thought this could cheer me up. I guess it did. In any case, I have been blogging ever since and I try to write two posts daily, one in English and one in French, even if it is for trivial matters. So yeah, I hope you enjoy Vraie Fiction, in any case.

Things to do in February

 Well it's the beginning of the month and English Heritage wrote a post about five things to do in February. They had done the same in January, I am sure we'll have the same in the upcoming months. Anyway, we are always looking for things to keep Wolfie entertained, so I will be reading these suggestions eagerly. It will also be inspiring for some February walks. We are not very close for any site of the English Heritage, but I am sure we can find something at a decent distance we can go to.

Février

Je vais commencer mon billet par mon lieu commun: nous sommes le premier février. Un mois que je n'aime pas particulièrement, mais au moins il est court. J'aimerais que le soit autant. Je n'ai pas de vacances, selon mon expérience ce sera sans doute un peu lent au travail de toutes façons, il y a quelques célébrations et anniversaires à souligner (j'y reviendrai), mais en général, c'est plutôt tranquille. Et vous, comment prévoyez-vous votre moisde février? Que pensez-vous du mois en général?

Rebellion Beer's Rocket

My stocks of beer were running short, so I recently ordered some from the Marlow Brewery, or  Rebellion Beer. Yesterday, I had for the night's poison the beer of the month (I managed to buy it in the nick of time before February ended): the Rocket. Named after Stephenson's Rocket. It is not a very dark ale, but it is not a light one either, just dark enough for me. I enjoyed it. I also enjoyed the name: Rocket, named after the very first train. Trains and beer, two things I love.

Février

Bon ben, commençons par les clichés et lieux communs habituels: février est arrivé, c'est le mois le plus court, etc. Je suis de retour à l'ouvrage après une semaine et un jour de vacances. Comment trouvez-vous le mois de février d'habitude? C'est l'un des mois que j'aime le moins, personnellement. L'objection habituelle quand on dit ça, c'est qu'il ne dure pas longtemps. Ce qui n'arrange pas vraiment les choses, puisqu'il faudra subir février malgré tout. Qu'espérez-vous de février cette année? Ou que craignez-vous?

February Ending

 So if anyone noticed, we are the last day of February. I say if anyone noticed, because this year, it's been more difficult to be aware of time passing. This February would have been otherwise a very banal, uneventful February: it's not a leap year,for one, it has only 28 days. Now, it is a February during the plague, the pandemic, it is a February like we never really had them. That said, mine has been pretty good, all things considered. I generally don't like this month (for more details, see this post from 2017), the only virtue I give it is that it's short, but this time it has been all right: not too cold, not too wet, not too depressing, not too... Februarish? Anyway, that was mine, how was yours?

Le 29 février

Nous sommes le 29 février. Ça arrive une fois aux quatre ans, je voulais donc le souligner....

Février prolifique

Petite observation à propos de Vraie Fiction. Nous sommes le 28 février et ceci est le 69e billet du mois. Et comme c'est une année bissextile, il y en aura sans doute deux autres demain. Cela fait de février 2020 le mois de février où j'ai été le plus productif comme blogueur. Moi qui en général trouve ce mois-ci peu inspirant.

12 years of blogging

Well, what with Shrove Tuesday yesterday, I forgot to celebrate one anniversary (two in fact, but the other one is for another post): Vraie Fiction is now twelve years old. I started blogging on the 25th of February 2008. I know it is one day late, but as blogging is something I do a lot in my (few) spare time and as it is something I enjoy doing, I thought it was worth a mention.

Le 30 février...

Nous sommes en février, année bissextile, c'est un peu pourquoi j'ai en tête cette chanson des Parisiennes. Elle est franchouillarde, un peu bête, voire même carrément stupide. Mais c'est le genre de réplique qu'on aimerait bien parfois servir, quoiqu'il arrive plus souvent qu'on se la fasse servir. Et on se sent alors un peu comme le dindon de la farce.

02/02/2020

We are today the second of February 2020, which means that this date is a palindrome. Or, what social media has already called it, #PalindromeDay, with the hashtag and all. The first Palindrome Day in 909 years, apparently. More details about it here. I had not known that social media had gone crazy about it and I already wanted to mention it on this blog. So here it is. Enjoy your Palindrome Day or, if it is over already where you are, I hope you enjoyed it.