Last Thursday we went back to Bér, this time it didn't snow and we shopped for Bratislava with the non-perishables being the first lot. Tesco was not too full, so we were home in good time for late(ish) lunch. The poor birdies were very hungry, so I quickly filled their bowls, but it is so cold this winter, compared to the last 3 or 4 winters, that they are eating at a great rate of knots.
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Lovely plump tits on the fat 14 years ago
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I did three lots of washing with the whole house being full of drying clothes. Initially there was going to be an online Fáklya executive meeting on Thursday, but some people couldn't come, some overslept, others fell ill, so we put it off to Friday. That has never happened either for a variety of reasons, so we had a meeting finally on Saturday. We discussed all the main topics: the split of the branch into two, the AYAC campaign, the Marxmas party on Tuesday, our founding congress in the spring, the Palestine demo, only the IMT bulletin on the name change of the international was left off, as nobody, except me, have so far read it.
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David and Márkó by the literature stall at the Marxmas party
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My feeling right through this meeting was that it has been a very long time since I have seen a bunch of good folk taking on too much this much and then collapsing and not getting anywhere. Unfortunately, soon after this meeting, people started going down with all sorts of mysterious lurgies and feeling so unwell, that they could not attend to any of their tasks. This, unfortunately, included me too. I had a rough couple of days, when I simply had to stay in bed, while Zsófi and Hanna got something resembling flu or Covid. This resulted in a bit of a setback this week and three of us couldn't go to the Marxmas party and the branch meeting this evening had to be cancelled.
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The crowd at the Marxmas party
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I am quite concerned that not only me, with my 75 years, is finding the tempo of activity and duties a bit too much, but it includes the youngsters as well. Although they are decades younger than me, but they are under the pressure of a dying social and economic system, which is superexploiting them and many a meeting had to be cancelled or delayed, as one or more of them overslept. Not in the morning, but in the early evening. In spite of their youth, they are so exhausted, that they have to sleep as soon as they get home, and often, they oversleep the start of their meetings.
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Fáklya comrades round the table
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Hanna and Zsófi on top of the andesite columns
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Well, I'm still very enthusiastic about Fáklya and all the comrades, as they are a marvellous and talented bunch. But with my decades of experience, I have seen a myriad of ways you can wear yourself out in revolutionary work, if you are not careful. So, I am also feeling quite rough, and with me the real worry is about our family Christmas in Bratislava. I mustn't be ill, otherwise the whole thing will be ruined. So, I am staying in bed mostly, and try to stay calm, eat healthy food, drink lots of water, read, sleep, watch Netflix and hopefully I will be 100% or close to it, by the time Stephen and the kids fly in on Friday.
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Bratislava panorama
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On Saturday Roy, I and Xander are scheduled to leave for Bratislava by train, while Stephen and Elian are driving up in Dusty, with all the luggage and food. The margins are pretty tight, but that shouldn't surprise anyone, as when Stephen is involved just the existence of margins, any margins, you should be thankful for. If I can work out how to attach Stephen's Grants' Holiday timetable, I will do it for illustrative purposes, as well as for your amusement.
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Grant family holiday schedule
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Budapest-Bratislava train timetable
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Must go now as Roy arrived back from the pub, but does not look like his usual happy self. I think all the hassle around this trip is getting to him. Let us hope that seeing the whole family together will cheer him up. And the trip with Xander on the train is something that I look forward to. I know Xander is a bit difficult at times and can be quite hyper, but with us he has always been on his best behaviour and apparently he is as good as gold at school too, so perhaps the problem is not with him, but with somebody else. Enough said. I am off for a nap and will write next week, if the family lets me. If not, the next post it going to be a bit late.
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