Categories: uncategorized
Date: 16 January 2005 13:40:46
It was slightly disconcerting, on arriving (it has to be said rather late) at the Croydon ship meet last night to be greeted by questions about a. my window and b. my ears. I mean, I know people read this blog, but when confronted with a crowd of people who all knew what was going on in my life even though I'd not seen them for a while, it was a bit odd. But in a good way, of course. Anyway, as usual a good one, with interesting conversations ranging from gay clergy to obscure former Soviet republic politics. As you do.
I nearly didn't make it to the do though - I'd originally been planning on going away this weekend but that has had to be rearranged, and then I was going to go for a meal with some other friends but that didn't work out either, and then what with one thing and another I was feeling a bit fed up with the world and even as I stood at the station waiting for the East Croydon train I was seriously thinking about going home and having an early night. But I thought a. I can have some beer with good people, and b. if I don't go the most exciting thing I will have done this weekend is put down my new bathmat in my bathroom. Which is actually very exciting (it's very fluffy and luxurious!), but not exactly blog-worthy.
The other thing that I've done this weekend is some baking (if it snows this weekend you can blame me). Baking is something I just don't do. But I had a ton of blackberries left over from my flapjack frenzy last summer, and I thought I'd better reduce the European blackberry mountain in my freezer so I made a crumble. Which, though I say so myself, is delicious. I can't say that it (or the Guinness consumed in Croydon) have done a huge amount for my 4lb a month weight loss plan, but at least I have room in the freezer now for some healthy stuff. Yeah right.
One of my references for my PhD application arrived yesterday (I have to send them all in together with my application). Unfortunately it's in a sealed envelope so I can't read it, I will just have to trust that it's OK. I've also got 2 of the 3 transcripts I need for my previous degrees, so just one transcript and one reference to go. Oh yes, and the minor consideration of a rewritten research proposal. Aargh. When's it all going to end???! It's all got to be in in less than 3 weeks. And then I have a month to do a longer research proposal for the funding body. And then I think I will have a holiday. I was thinking in bed this morning about rather a lot of airmiles I seem to have accumulated. I think it's about time I put them to good use. Am thinking about a city break somewhere, in April (as I don't have enough leave to do it before then) - considering Amsterdam (which I've been to before and loved) or Barcelona or Venice (neither of which I've been to before but would like to). Or maybe somewhere a bit more obscure. Feel free to suggest/recommend other European cities I've not thought of - will be fun to dream about something other than eastern European health policy and fixed windows and unblocked ears.