Legally Blonde

Although not literally (it’s cold, but we’re too close to the sea apparently), I am struggling in a drift of stuff which is threatening to become an avalanche if not Dealt With. Hence the deafening silence in recent days/weeks.

My essay is getting there – and I have the week between Christmas and the New Year Completely Off Work (unlike this one, which in theory is a week off when the clinic’s closed, but in practice is madly busy, so I’m still there).

Christmas is sorted – I’ve been doing cooking and making etc rather than buying, and about as organised as I need to get is to remember to put petrol in Tomorrow lunchtime (I’m heading parentwards after work til the weekend).

Just in case I’m disciplined enough to stay off the web this week I’ll say it now – have a joyful Christmas and “see” you next year. (‘course, knowing me, I’ll find an excuse and be back before then.)

Google’s two Os are the propellers of the Wright brothers’ plane – I was looking something up (work-related, honest!) and just noticed, and thought it was a nice touch, considering the day today.

Have spent the last few days with the flat covered in both of the above – we have been arty and crafty (admittedly Sarah a lot more so than me!) and made dozens of Christmas cards (most of the ones we ordered from Traidcraft were out of stock so this was plan B!) which is good fun and goes well with the Buy Nothing Christmas plan (look at their site from the links on the left, I can’t remember the link text thingy – I don’t have my helpful destructions from Rachel here).

Dark card from Harrisons – 50p; pad of cartridge paper – I had about half of one left from years ago; Glue – Sarah had some in the house; Gold and Silver pens – we both had them already (possibly left from last year?!); total cost – time and effort high but very low in real money terms. Certainly lots less than buying the same number of nice cards – even from a charity shop or Fair trade catalogue!

(or at least heavily subsidised, which amounts to practically the same thing – thanks Nigel!)

Always a good recipe for a great night out – food, friends, Chaplains, music-making and general end of term silliness. It’s marvellous how even spending a lot less time on campus this year (well I have graduated so shouldn’t really be surprised!) I always feel welcome and part of the old crowd when I do go back. Special mention must be made of “a brief history of time, I mean Burnley” – I haven’t laughed so much in ages, my tummy muscles are still sore.

As an added bonus, I was on foot tonight, so could indulge in much curryness safe in the knowledge that I’d walk some of it off in coming home up the hill from Uni afterwards!

Feeling my “age” though – when I was an undergrad I routinely stayed til the small hours, whereas now I’m one of the first to leave to come home for more work on the essay and a (relatively) early night.

Some of tonight – food, fellowship, friends, laughter, discussion, just relaxed easy being together – feels so much like real community, really what it’s all about. I sometimes wonder if Chaplaincy – far less structured, institutional, hierarchical than “established” church – is actually closer to the real thing. It felt that way this evening. Thanks everyone!

Earlier this week I had a long conversation about using my languages more, and thought about getting back into translation (maybe when I have a bit more time). This evening a friend asked me for help with some work correspondence from an Italian company.

Be careful what you wish for; it may be granted sooner than you think, and in unexpected ways!

…baffles me. Last night I hate it. Today a wonderful friend with far more nouse and computer knowledge than me used it to help retrieve most of my lost work. Must spend less time talking about and some more on actually doing this ***** essay now!

A friend (in church circles) sent me this little gem today…

The minister was preoccupied with thoughts of how he was going to ask the congregation to come up with more money than they were expecting for repairs to the church building. Therefore, he was annoyed to find that the regular organist was sick and a substitute had been brought in at the last minute. The substitute wanted to know what to play. “Here’s a copy of the service,” he said impatiently. “But you’ll have to think of something to play after I make the announcement about the finances.” During the service, the minister paused and said, “Brothers and sisters, we are in great difficulty; the roof repairs cost twice as much as we expected, and we need $4,000 more. Any of you who can pledge $100 or more, please stand up.” At that moment, the substitute organist played “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

I laughed and laughed at this, and thought, “very good,” and then, “I wonder if Land of my Fathers would have quite the same effect?!” (Quite apart from the fundraising, there’s the whole question of church/civil society/politics etc crossover that raises hackles when national anthems are brought into a religious service…)

I suppose you could say that one advantage of not having written an awful lot of essay yet at this stage is that when the entire ***** (expletive deleted) thing disappears into the black hole that is technological meltdown, it could have been fractionally worse – I might have lost up to 4,000 words rather than just 1,449 (plus footnotes). Grrr.

Up until then, I had been having a surprisingly constructive and productive evening’s effort!! I could go on, but need sleep.

Last night at the Oxwich Bay Hotel. Now I remember why I don’t do all these student all night things v much any more – grown up work the following day! Still, great fun really, and it’s only once a year (or so!) (and it was busy enough in work today I had to keep awake…)

Now back to the grindstone – starting the scary countdown to essay deadlines…

is he’s just not quite Handel! (or at least not in the unfortunate translation that is the Good News Bible)

I find it well nigh impossible, as a chorister, to hear readings from the Messiah without also hearing the music that should go with ‘em… hence the bit in this morning’s lectionary about the valleys and mountains being smoothed out just wasn’t the same as (okay I don’t know how to type music so you’ll just have to imagine the right noise) “ev’ry valley – shall be exalted… and every mountain and hill be made low…” Happens quite a bit this time of year.

overheard in the choir vestry: “isn’t it odd how the readings are often extracts from anthems we’ve done?” oh dear.