I'm not dead yet!

As you may have noticed, this blog has been less active lately.

You see, I've been laid low by a virus that has left me exhausted and feeble for the past several weeks (and as a temp worker, also currently jobless). As someone who is prone to the occasional visit from the proverbial black dog, and also very bad at (forced) inactivity, these setbacks have been rather frustrating and demotivating...
This whole has left me bereft of my stamina and general enthusiasm for, well, most things, really. So all my attention has been on getting myself sorted and healthy again.
Naturally this has left me less room for hobby-related productiveness than I would have wished.

What spare energy and enthusiasm I could muster I've been spending on a little project for the misses' birthday, but as I want her to be the first to see the finished product, I won't be showing it until after she receives it. So you'll have to wait for at least a week and a half before I can post anything about it.

As an extra morale boost a friend of us gave us an old, weatherbeaten (it's been standing outside for a while) rocking chair. It's a nice, big butch chair, but it needs a fair bit of love to get it pretty and functional again. I haven't had anymore than a quick look at it, at first glance one of the legs has worked loose and a lot of the wood has turned an unpleasant shade of grey with starting cracks, but as far as I can see no rot has set in. I'm hoping I can save it with just re-glueing loose joins, a good sand down and some nice new finish. It'd rather not have to stain or paint it, but that's dependent on the state of the wood once sanded. I'm looking forward to starting on this, so it should be a great encouragement to get well. Hopefully the wood is still good enough that I can re-finish it with a mix of linseed oil and beeswax, instead of a more modern concoction. Why? Because I've wanted to find out how this particular mix works, it's an age-old traditional protective finish (and as you might have guessed, I'm somewhat fond of age-old materials and techniques). It should actually nurture and preserve the wood instead of just encasing it. Plus, I quite like the smell of beeswax. :)
I already own and use a comfortable plaid blanket, if this refurbish works out I can add a rocking chair, so I'll only need either a smoking pipe or a walking stick to complete the basic "crotchety old man" equipment package!

Now, get off my lawn! :D