So, Robin and David are blobbed out in front of the TV, watching French rugby. Now, I can understand watching rugby from purely aesthetic purposes - any sport where beefy men run around and grab each other's heinies is just fine with me (though, to be honest, I have no ideas about the rules, save for having to pass backwards, which is why they run while looking backwards, which I would find very difficult). Anyway though, Robin is actually cheering them on, getting involved in the sport. Eh? Was ist das feigned heterosexuality? I'm shocked and appalled, and not sure such filth should be allowed in this house.
Anyway, it's grey and shitty out today, which has inspired a lot of lethargy and inaction.
BTW, the French announcer keeps saying 'touche', which I find very funny.
So, I didn't get the job - 'lack of experience' - which is kind of funny, given that I thought the whole point of this job was to offer someone experience. I think it may have more to do with me arguing with members of this person's team, way back when he had a different role, but I can never prove that. So yeah, I'm disappointed and upset, but I've been working on a plan to really increase my GIS skills over the next short while, which I think might be more in my interest.
Went for a nice 61 mile bike ride yesterday - big loop. I find few things as therapeutic as a nice bike ride. Neither David nor Robin really understand that, which is fine - I'm more than happy to be out peddling my ass around on my own. (Hmm).
Funny things I've seen in the past two days:
1. Kid riding his bike through heavy London traffic while sitting backwards on the seat. (That is both very clver and very stupid - I certainly couldn't do it though).
2. Guy yesterday, clad in white lycra (eek!), roped onto two car tires, which he was pulling up a hill behind him. Either I was witnessing some sort of fun new religious rite, or he's a cross country skier. Note to self not to do that though.
Right - I've had enough 'touche' for the moment - think it's time to go shower and get on with my day. Yippy skippy!
Sunday, 4 September 2011
Thursday, 1 September 2011
Put on my purple suede shoes?
Well, I had my interview today. I managed not to pee on anyone’s shoes or shout loud obscenities, so I suppose that’s pretty good. Local government interviews are always long. First there was an hour long ‘technical test’, which was mostly about how much I could regurgitate from PRINCE2 or ITIL, with a few random techie questions thrown in just for fun. I was then given a presentation topic and an hour to prepare. Topic was about project managing an IT systems change in the Environmental Health department. I got to write stuff up on large pieces of paper with permanent markers. After an hour of doing that in a small, poorly ventilated room, I’m very surprised I had any brain cells left. Finally – presentation and fifty minutes of being grilled by two people. At least it wasn’t a panel interview, nor did the process take the entire day like the last time I did this. Apparently, it’s between me and one other person – I think we are both probably about equally qualified to do it, so we’ll see. Should know tomorrow. And despite my generally grumpy comments yesterday about not being interested, I am actually interested – I like studying processes behind things, and think I could probably apply that to an organization, as well as the natural environment. Plus, it would be an experience.
I actually had a new version last night of my barefoot dream (usually involving running around in a city with no shoes, and trying to get somewhere entirely random on public transport). Last night someone offered me a pair of purply/brown, suede Nikes (don’t question – it’s my dream). I asked them if they were actually running shoes, and they said that yes, they were. I decided that I would accept them, even though they looked odd, as I could see how they would get me to where I was going. Maybe that was prophetic? I suppose I’ll see!
I actually had a new version last night of my barefoot dream (usually involving running around in a city with no shoes, and trying to get somewhere entirely random on public transport). Last night someone offered me a pair of purply/brown, suede Nikes (don’t question – it’s my dream). I asked them if they were actually running shoes, and they said that yes, they were. I decided that I would accept them, even though they looked odd, as I could see how they would get me to where I was going. Maybe that was prophetic? I suppose I’ll see!
Wednesday, 31 August 2011
I'm pretty sure summer happened on Thursday, about 6:45pm
Yeah, so, it's the last day of August and it's grey and yicky out. Apparently, the UK just had the coldest summer in 18 years, after the warmest spring since the dawn of time. I read a Guardian article recently that said that people would take a lot more notice of climate change if it were called "global weirding" rather than "global warming", people would take a lot more notice. Unless Jesus got involved, in which case the conversation would drop to the intellectual level of puppies, but that's another story.
Anyway.
Much hand wringing has occurred since the riots. There are still some windows boarded up here and there, and the occasional burned out building, but does it really feel like anything profound has changed? No, not really. For about a week there was a lot more police presence (though it never felt overbearing, as I imagine it would in the USA), and we saw things like Welsh police around here "Heddlu", I think they are called. They throw sheep at you if you misbehave or something.
Robin just walked up and said he would like me to say that he just got invited to an "exclusive" sex club. I've never gotten invited to an exclusive sex club. I'm terribly jealous now and hope that he gets crabs. Big hairy ones.
So yeah, police - I suppose there are some more of them about, but it really does almost feel like nothing happened, which, in a way, kind of reinforces the general feeling that the riots, while they may have, at their origin, been about something, were really, mostly, just about getting stuff. Not much different than mugging at the street corner really. An opportunity was had. Interestingly, Hackney made a real effort to clean things up, very quickly. Walworth Road, down closer to where we live, not so much. Still lots of boarded up windows. There was one area, outside of London, where the riots were described as causing "£10 million in improvements". Kind of amusing. One other things that I found interesting, and that was actually reported fairly well, is that while the initial impression of rioters, in London, was that they were predominantly black, this changed as they moved outside, as they moved north. The northern riots were mostly white, which is, not so surprisingly, very much a reflection of the ethnic makeup of the lower classes in these areas.
Right - so, tomorrow I have an interview for the business analyst position, which would initially be for six months. Truth be told, I'm not all that hugely thrilled about the whole thing, mostly because I really couldn't give a rat crap about business processes or project management, but it would pay a lot more and would give me more time to look for something I really wanted. What I really want is to climb volcanoes or model climate or do something that involves science, and not bureaucracy and people and local governmental bullshit, but I think I kind of missed that bus.
Funny enough, I finally, after all these years, came up with a degree idea that actually has to do with geography and local governmental bullshit - did I mention this before? Can't remember and I'm too lazy to check. Anyway, it has occurred to me that it would be really interesting to look at how the overly bureaucratic and now-focussed culture of local government is reflected in the built environment in this country (as local government is, generally speaking, responsible for planning decisions). I ran this idea past work, as they do sometimes pay for degrees and as I think it is kind of theoretically important and unexplored, and as if to prove my point, they said no, because they don't see any way it can directly relate to my job. Yeah. I need out of local government, but I'm just not sure how. That is the current plan. Somehow.
Oh, funny story - I went to a friend's moving-out party the other night. I show up in shorts and t-shirt on my bike, and discover that the part is very "A-Gay" (fashionable and pretty). So - already feeling a little bit like a dork. Then this white cat wanders into the flat. My friend had never seen the cat before, and, this being a room full of gay men, no one seemed to know what to do with this wandering pussy. So, being the hero, I walked over to the cat, bent over and scooped it up. Surprisingly, the cat was fine about being picked up. My shorts, however, were not. The button, which was on its last legs anyway, gave up, popped off, and flew across the room, and my shorts nearly ended up around my ankles. Yeah - definitely looking really cool. Fortunately, my shorts, being A&F, had an internal draw-string. Still though, if the ground could have opened up and swallowed me...
House - the house is looking even more houselike. We're finally replacing the god-awful bare bulbs the previous owners left hanging from the ceiling. We got a dining table and some really cool green chairs. And the back yard actually looks not bad. We had a bbq on Sunday - big success - first time we trashed the kitchen! Yay!
Apparently that's Mexico's national car or something... ;-)
Robin smoking a ciggie in the rain. How butch.
Our front hedge reminds me of "The Thing", with its little whip tendrils all over...
A field of poppies.
View from the North Downs.
It's a purple tree!
My bday - milk in champagne flutes. How fabulous! (And yes, Robin does actually occasionally wear a shirt...)
The Shard - ever higher, ever uglier!
Justin...
Justin and Luke
Yeah, that's not tacky at all!
David launches Sputnik in the kitchen...
Our new front light.
Sputnik again, or the stair light.
A very helpful street sign!
Back yard - looking lush!
Marigolds in place of ivy...
Rainbow on Thames
Anyway.
Much hand wringing has occurred since the riots. There are still some windows boarded up here and there, and the occasional burned out building, but does it really feel like anything profound has changed? No, not really. For about a week there was a lot more police presence (though it never felt overbearing, as I imagine it would in the USA), and we saw things like Welsh police around here "Heddlu", I think they are called. They throw sheep at you if you misbehave or something.
Robin just walked up and said he would like me to say that he just got invited to an "exclusive" sex club. I've never gotten invited to an exclusive sex club. I'm terribly jealous now and hope that he gets crabs. Big hairy ones.
So yeah, police - I suppose there are some more of them about, but it really does almost feel like nothing happened, which, in a way, kind of reinforces the general feeling that the riots, while they may have, at their origin, been about something, were really, mostly, just about getting stuff. Not much different than mugging at the street corner really. An opportunity was had. Interestingly, Hackney made a real effort to clean things up, very quickly. Walworth Road, down closer to where we live, not so much. Still lots of boarded up windows. There was one area, outside of London, where the riots were described as causing "£10 million in improvements". Kind of amusing. One other things that I found interesting, and that was actually reported fairly well, is that while the initial impression of rioters, in London, was that they were predominantly black, this changed as they moved outside, as they moved north. The northern riots were mostly white, which is, not so surprisingly, very much a reflection of the ethnic makeup of the lower classes in these areas.
Right - so, tomorrow I have an interview for the business analyst position, which would initially be for six months. Truth be told, I'm not all that hugely thrilled about the whole thing, mostly because I really couldn't give a rat crap about business processes or project management, but it would pay a lot more and would give me more time to look for something I really wanted. What I really want is to climb volcanoes or model climate or do something that involves science, and not bureaucracy and people and local governmental bullshit, but I think I kind of missed that bus.
Funny enough, I finally, after all these years, came up with a degree idea that actually has to do with geography and local governmental bullshit - did I mention this before? Can't remember and I'm too lazy to check. Anyway, it has occurred to me that it would be really interesting to look at how the overly bureaucratic and now-focussed culture of local government is reflected in the built environment in this country (as local government is, generally speaking, responsible for planning decisions). I ran this idea past work, as they do sometimes pay for degrees and as I think it is kind of theoretically important and unexplored, and as if to prove my point, they said no, because they don't see any way it can directly relate to my job. Yeah. I need out of local government, but I'm just not sure how. That is the current plan. Somehow.
Oh, funny story - I went to a friend's moving-out party the other night. I show up in shorts and t-shirt on my bike, and discover that the part is very "A-Gay" (fashionable and pretty). So - already feeling a little bit like a dork. Then this white cat wanders into the flat. My friend had never seen the cat before, and, this being a room full of gay men, no one seemed to know what to do with this wandering pussy. So, being the hero, I walked over to the cat, bent over and scooped it up. Surprisingly, the cat was fine about being picked up. My shorts, however, were not. The button, which was on its last legs anyway, gave up, popped off, and flew across the room, and my shorts nearly ended up around my ankles. Yeah - definitely looking really cool. Fortunately, my shorts, being A&F, had an internal draw-string. Still though, if the ground could have opened up and swallowed me...
House - the house is looking even more houselike. We're finally replacing the god-awful bare bulbs the previous owners left hanging from the ceiling. We got a dining table and some really cool green chairs. And the back yard actually looks not bad. We had a bbq on Sunday - big success - first time we trashed the kitchen! Yay!
Apparently that's Mexico's national car or something... ;-)
Robin smoking a ciggie in the rain. How butch.
Our front hedge reminds me of "The Thing", with its little whip tendrils all over...
A field of poppies.
View from the North Downs.
It's a purple tree!
My bday - milk in champagne flutes. How fabulous! (And yes, Robin does actually occasionally wear a shirt...)
The Shard - ever higher, ever uglier!
Justin...
Justin and Luke
Yeah, that's not tacky at all!
David launches Sputnik in the kitchen...
Our new front light.
Sputnik again, or the stair light.
A very helpful street sign!
Back yard - looking lush!
Marigolds in place of ivy...
Rainbow on Thames
Tuesday, 9 August 2011
London Burning
Oh what a mess. We are witnessing the underclass rebellion, and what do they want? Hoodies and big screen TVs! Things seem a bit quieter in London tonight - possibly because there are 16000 police on the streets (instead of 6000 last night), as well as groups of vigilantes, just waiting for a fight. Funny thing is, in central London, you could be almost forgiven for thinking that there was nothing going on. There are still mobs of tourists roving about, the shows are still on, nothing seems amiss. Not so true if you head out of the center just a bit. The list of areas hit in London reads pretty much like a list of London's black neighborhoods. We were evacuated from work yesterday at about 430 because hooded youth (mostly black) had already started throwing bricks at the already assembled riot cops (mostly white). The official story is that it all started with a stop and search, when the kid refused, but that's bullshit. Stores were closing up at lunchtime because everyone knew something was going to kick off, and there were already riot cops in front of Town Hall. All the little shits needed was an excuse to start throwing things. And they threw, and they looted, and they burned. I didn't go into work today, and those that did were told to leave about 12, because more trouble was expected. To Hackney's credit though, there was an army of people out this morning with brooms - mostly, and I hate to point this out, white. Anyway, there have been riots all over the city, the nearest about a mile from where we live. There were about 30 youths chased into the local train station last night, and a group of hooded, gloved (black) young men congregating outside our house late last night, off to, I would imagine, not a piano recital. It's really been quite terrifying, and we all made sure to be home and inside tonight before dark. They looted the main shopping street heading north from here last night, and there were several huge fires started overnight around the city. Most of the violence has been against businesses, but there have been a number of houses broken into, diners in restaurants attacked, cyclists attacked, pretty much anyone in the wrong area at the wrong time attacked. Tonight the worst of it seems to have shifted out of London - kind of expected, since all the cops in the country are here. Interestingly, in London, for the most part, they targeted the shopping streets in shitty areas (because they were nearby and convenient, I suppose). Tonight, in the other cities, they are targeting the city center shopping areas, with all the big department stores. The police have said they may start using rubber bullets (which they have never done in England, though it is a regular occurrence in Northern Ireland). They have, at the moment, ruled out water cannons, tear gas or the army, but those are all under discussion. What I find really shocking about this is not so much that it has happened - the UK has a mean underclass, many of whom have never worked, and families who have been on welfare for generations. What is shocking to me is how sudden and widespread it has become - but then, I suppose that is part of the power of social media. They were just waiting for an excuse, and the police shooting in Tottenham was what they wanted. I wonder why it was that one, rather than any one of a number of other police fuckups? I really wonder what is going to be the outcome of this? I suppose the US has been having all the flashmobs lately, and Paris had huge riots a number of years ago. This country doesn't have a curfew, but that is one of the options they are discussing at the moment. I do think it's going to lead to some pretty overly agressive policing in the future (Northern Ireland?), as well as really piss poor race relations for a while, and I think it's going to finally end Britain's experiment in multiculturalism (which has been fizzling lately anyway). Unlike the US or Europe or pretty much anywhere else, the UK, I suppose because it is divided up into various little internal countries that dislike each other, has never been really big on pushing what it is to be British - insisting instead on a multicultural mosaic where everything is as good as everything else. The result of that is that it's a tiny little crowded country with many groups of people that have absolutely dipshit to do with each other, and no overriding sense of cohesiveness. That and the fact that you could get lifetime welfare and a place to live simply by being able to breathe independently and pop out babies has left the country with a pretty astounding number of people who do absolutely nothing except hang out. Hackney is one of the worst places for that - I think something like 30% of the housing is owned by the council, and it ain't nice. Anyway, the vast majority of London remains here and in one piece, but OMG I've never experienced anything like what's been going on here the last few days! Our cleaner (yes, we have a cleaner), who is from Albania, said the last time she saw anything like this was in 1997 in Albania, and Der Spiegel just ran an article comparing London with Mogadishu. Fab.
Wednesday, 20 July 2011
Wet and Squishy
Yep - it must be the middle of the summer, because it's grey and yucky and cold. We have had, it seems, an endless parade of rainy shitty days lately. A few days it has rained all day, and lately, it's been alternating between clear and absolutely pissing it down with giant buckets of rain. On the plus side, it's very green out - all the nasty crunchy deadness of spring seems to have washed away. It does kind of make cycling a bit difficult though. I was supposed to gym today after work, but got caught in an enormous downpour. I was so wet I actually had to dump out my shoes. Not surprisingly, I went home so I could take a hot shower - nothing like shivering in the middle of July. Oh well - better than drought.
Speaking of bike, I recently bought two new "puncture resistant" tires (tyres). Yeah right. The first one blew out the sidewall when I got it to about 60 psi. The second one lasted a bit longer. I decided to suffer through having two different tires on my bike until I could decide what to do. Fortunately, I didn't have to suffer long. The second one (on the back) hit some invisible object in the middle of a very busy intersection and deflated over the course of about two secondds, leaving me with the great pleasure of walking home, through a bad neigbhborhood, in the increasing dark. I did try returning the first one to the bike store. I still had the label but not the receipt. The nice older guy who first helped me was going to do the return, but the pimple faced jackass store manager wouldn't allow it, because there was no receipt. So, I just dropped the tire on the floor and walked out. Little pimply faced shit. Hmph!
Oh, in a sure indication that David and I are becoming way too domesticated, we went to the Hampton Court Flower Show. Talk about middle class Middle England! We played a fun game of "spot the ethnic minority" and had a lovely time ooing and ahhing over the show gardens and displays of flowers. Now, if we could only get our tiny garden to look like that.
Hmm- I'm sure there is something else exciting going on, but my brain seems to be tapioca at the moment and I can't think of what it is.
I suppose, in other world shattering news, we are going to actually get a dining table tomorrow, and maybe even some chairs to go with it! We still don't have any curtains on the downstairs front window, and God only knows when we'll actually get anything painted. Manana manana...
Oh, I know - vaguely amusing to me... Last weekend Robin's friend Mike was over here from Munich. Mike is an absolute sweety who owns a sex store. Last weekend was Fetish Weekend in London (I'm sure it made all the newspapers). I thought about going out - getting all dressed up in tiny little rubber shorts and big black boots (I am either proud or embarrassed to admit that I own a tiny little pair of rubber shorts, but that's another story). ANYWAY, it was Fetish Weekend, with a number of clubs and bars having big events (lots of men and some women, mostly in leather or rubber, some uniforms... Many of them take it just a little too seriously, but really - it's all grownups playing dressup - I think it's fun). So, Robin and Mike went out, but I was feeling boring, so I did not. I'm sure our street was amused at Mike's hairy ass peeking out of his leather chaps as they walked down the road, but then, this is a pretty gay neighborhood - I'm sure they have seen worse. What a fun little weird gay household I live in... :-)
Not much else - I've got some recent pics, including flower show (not Fetish Weekend), but I'm too lazy to upload them at the moment.
Oh oh oh, I know the other thing... We all went to listen to Gillian Weir play the organ at St Paul's Cathedral. There were also several choirs and the Birmingham Symphony (I think it was the Birmingham Symphony - there were a lot of people playing a lot of instruments and it sounded vaguely classical... ;-) They packed St Paul's (and that's a lot of people), and we got to sit up under the dome, which was pretty fantastic. The audience - old people and gay men. It's funny how often those two groups will be together. And we just paid a shitload of money to go see Dolly Parton in September. Apparently it's her last concert, and it is selling very quickly. I absolutely can't wait - I've never seen Dolly in concert, though I have been to Dollywood... I can't even begin to imagine what that audience will be like, but it will also, most likely, be absolutely crammed to the rafters with gay men. We're everywhere.
How fabulous.
Speaking of bike, I recently bought two new "puncture resistant" tires (tyres). Yeah right. The first one blew out the sidewall when I got it to about 60 psi. The second one lasted a bit longer. I decided to suffer through having two different tires on my bike until I could decide what to do. Fortunately, I didn't have to suffer long. The second one (on the back) hit some invisible object in the middle of a very busy intersection and deflated over the course of about two secondds, leaving me with the great pleasure of walking home, through a bad neigbhborhood, in the increasing dark. I did try returning the first one to the bike store. I still had the label but not the receipt. The nice older guy who first helped me was going to do the return, but the pimple faced jackass store manager wouldn't allow it, because there was no receipt. So, I just dropped the tire on the floor and walked out. Little pimply faced shit. Hmph!
Oh, in a sure indication that David and I are becoming way too domesticated, we went to the Hampton Court Flower Show. Talk about middle class Middle England! We played a fun game of "spot the ethnic minority" and had a lovely time ooing and ahhing over the show gardens and displays of flowers. Now, if we could only get our tiny garden to look like that.
Hmm- I'm sure there is something else exciting going on, but my brain seems to be tapioca at the moment and I can't think of what it is.
I suppose, in other world shattering news, we are going to actually get a dining table tomorrow, and maybe even some chairs to go with it! We still don't have any curtains on the downstairs front window, and God only knows when we'll actually get anything painted. Manana manana...
Oh, I know - vaguely amusing to me... Last weekend Robin's friend Mike was over here from Munich. Mike is an absolute sweety who owns a sex store. Last weekend was Fetish Weekend in London (I'm sure it made all the newspapers). I thought about going out - getting all dressed up in tiny little rubber shorts and big black boots (I am either proud or embarrassed to admit that I own a tiny little pair of rubber shorts, but that's another story). ANYWAY, it was Fetish Weekend, with a number of clubs and bars having big events (lots of men and some women, mostly in leather or rubber, some uniforms... Many of them take it just a little too seriously, but really - it's all grownups playing dressup - I think it's fun). So, Robin and Mike went out, but I was feeling boring, so I did not. I'm sure our street was amused at Mike's hairy ass peeking out of his leather chaps as they walked down the road, but then, this is a pretty gay neighborhood - I'm sure they have seen worse. What a fun little weird gay household I live in... :-)
Not much else - I've got some recent pics, including flower show (not Fetish Weekend), but I'm too lazy to upload them at the moment.
Oh oh oh, I know the other thing... We all went to listen to Gillian Weir play the organ at St Paul's Cathedral. There were also several choirs and the Birmingham Symphony (I think it was the Birmingham Symphony - there were a lot of people playing a lot of instruments and it sounded vaguely classical... ;-) They packed St Paul's (and that's a lot of people), and we got to sit up under the dome, which was pretty fantastic. The audience - old people and gay men. It's funny how often those two groups will be together. And we just paid a shitload of money to go see Dolly Parton in September. Apparently it's her last concert, and it is selling very quickly. I absolutely can't wait - I've never seen Dolly in concert, though I have been to Dollywood... I can't even begin to imagine what that audience will be like, but it will also, most likely, be absolutely crammed to the rafters with gay men. We're everywhere.
How fabulous.
Thursday, 7 July 2011
Passport from the Planet Purple
Woohoo, I got my British passport today! It's got a purple cover and a micrcochip in it, which means that I can go through the automated gate at immigration. It also means that I don't have to wait in the goats and chickens line behind the flight from Mumbai. Wee, I can't wait to use it at the first time! (Have to remember though to use the USA passport going back to the USA because they get their knickers in a twist if you use a foreign passport and you are still a US citizen...
Tuesday, 5 July 2011
An Interesting Few Weeks...
So, I've been applying for jobs, including my manager's old job. It would have been managing the GIS team at Hackney, and would actually be quite a techie job. My colleague got it instead, and, to be honest, he really should have, as he's much more technically minded than I am. The process applying was the most difficult for any job to which I've applied so far. We had the usual interview, plus a 10 minute presentation, for which we were given our topic and given an hour to prepare. There was a technical test, and, more unusually, a half-day personalitiy and management styles assessment by an outside company. Turns out I'm a really good people manager, but I have suckass timekeeping (knew that) and I'm disorganized (knew that as well). Apparently, I am very analytical, but I do not have the type of mind to become a software developer. We all had to take this sort of test and I bombed the big one. So, the head of the department has pulled me aside and told me I really (really really) should apply for one of the business analyst/project manager jobs they have going. Say what? She (a former GIS person) told me that, essentially, my technical skills are not good enough, and will likely never be good enough to compete with people 10 years my junior (ah, feeling old - how nice), and that she really thinks I would be very good at this (basically studying processes within the organization) and that she has recommended to the head of IT that I apply. Uh, OK - I guess there is some similarity between processes of the world and processes of a governmental organization, and yes, I can see how it could be quite interesting. But, eh? Total career change! I guess, or not. I don't know, actually. Somehow I've gone from geology to geography to business processes. How utterly bizarre. Now I'd be the first to say that I don't really give a ratcrap about business processes, and my boss was gracious enough to point out to me that no, I don't really care about the business (I don't), but she thinks I would be good at it and that, for no other reason than experience and for major resume points, give it a try. OK - I suppose... It would mean going through another major application process (this being local government, nothing is ever just given away), but I'm willing to try something different. I very much like the other business analysts, so that's something - I think they are intelligent, interesting people. But me, a business analyst? I suppose though that when the head of your department, who used to do the same thing as you, pulls you aside and says stop doing what you are doing, it's a waste of time - try this - it's worth paying some attention. Anyway, will see where that goes - I'm applying for another management job as well, at another council - definitely time to move somewhere, though it would actually be nice to keep working at the same organization, as I generally like the people, and I've been there for three years!
What else...
We just passed the longest day of the year, which I always find slightly depressing. Back on the relentless march towards sunset at 3:45. Still though, June and July evenings are absolutely the best - the sunset lasts for a good hour and a half. Sunset itself is about 915, with the last remnants of light dying out of the northern sky around 11pm. It's back up just after 4. There is also a sort of blue quality to the late evening light that I've never seen further south. Robin just says that it's "twilight" and that I'm being silly, but I'm sure that I've never seen it in the US. Generally speaking, the quality of light in northern places (or, I suppose, to be fair, very southern places) is pretty amazing - much more interesting than the harsh light of, say, Florida. I particularly like the midwinter light - it's sort of perpetual evening, with long, dark shadows, and usually with low scudding clouds and hints of impending weather. I like England.
Speaking of, I applied for and got my passport, which will be delivered to me on Thursday. I had to go in for an interview, where they peppered me, at a very rapid clip, with question after question of things that only I should know - bank transactions, details about parents, my particular citizenship ceremony, etc. It was actually really stressful - I was afraid I'd get a wrong answer - get my name wrong or something. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, you caught me - I am a complete fraud and shouldn't get this passport!". I'm very much looking forward to getting to go through European customs in the cool line, rather than the goats and chickens line, behind the flight from Mali. Membership has its privileges.
Fourth of July. Not a big holiday here. I worked. But I felt patriotic. Or something. We had a few friends over on Sunday evening for a bbq in the back yard. It was actually nice and didn't rain, which is good, as we've had more than a few bbqs sitting under umbrellas. We have quite a number of fireworks left over from Guy Fawkes day, last November, but decided against setting them off in our very small back yard, as we thought it might be a little awkward explaining to the neighbs why we set their back yards on fire. Oh well.
OK - some pics.
This is the new, 1000 ft tall "Shard", being built behind City Hall (aka "The Bollock").
Thames at sundown, from Waterloo Bridge, looking towards The City.
David in the weed patch, which is now actually blooming, and which a friend referred to as our "cottage garden". How charitable! Will get flower pics soon...
A rainbow, looking out from the front door.
A face only a mother could love?
David and Robin would kill me about this pic - but this is them watching something on 3D-TV. It just gives me a headache...
Rob and Frank, sitting outside Costa Coffee on Old Compton Street, on their brief foray over from Berlin!
Robin giving death rays to someone's dog in a pub.
Sundown on Northway, just around the corner from our house.
Telephone wires coming from a rather ancient pole.
Oh, I almost forgot - I had a very strange dream last night - strange even for me. First off, and I think I've said this before, I get recurring dream themes. I get water dreams when I am feeling overwhelmed (not as overwhelmed as fire) and I've been having dreams of trying to take public transportation to absurd places lately, which I link to feeling like I'm stuck in my job (in the public sector). So, last night I had a dream that I was on a large ferry. Only on this ferry, we were all strapped in like in a roller coaster, and loaded onto these sort of ferris wheels - cars, people, etc (don't ask, it was my dream). Anyway, I thought this was a bit odd, but whatever. So, then it's time for the ferry to leave, only, instead of lumbering out of the dock as one might normally expect of a ferry, it catapulted out at hundreds of miles per hours, into the air (suppose this was why we were strapped in). As it flew out of the dock, out of nowhere started playing the theme tune - Copacabana (which, incidentally, I heard last night, so at least that made sense). And then David was shaking me awake, telling me to turn my stupid alarm off. To think I nearly made it across the great body of water in the supersonic ferry, only to be thwarted by my alarm.
Typical.
What else...
We just passed the longest day of the year, which I always find slightly depressing. Back on the relentless march towards sunset at 3:45. Still though, June and July evenings are absolutely the best - the sunset lasts for a good hour and a half. Sunset itself is about 915, with the last remnants of light dying out of the northern sky around 11pm. It's back up just after 4. There is also a sort of blue quality to the late evening light that I've never seen further south. Robin just says that it's "twilight" and that I'm being silly, but I'm sure that I've never seen it in the US. Generally speaking, the quality of light in northern places (or, I suppose, to be fair, very southern places) is pretty amazing - much more interesting than the harsh light of, say, Florida. I particularly like the midwinter light - it's sort of perpetual evening, with long, dark shadows, and usually with low scudding clouds and hints of impending weather. I like England.
Speaking of, I applied for and got my passport, which will be delivered to me on Thursday. I had to go in for an interview, where they peppered me, at a very rapid clip, with question after question of things that only I should know - bank transactions, details about parents, my particular citizenship ceremony, etc. It was actually really stressful - I was afraid I'd get a wrong answer - get my name wrong or something. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, you caught me - I am a complete fraud and shouldn't get this passport!". I'm very much looking forward to getting to go through European customs in the cool line, rather than the goats and chickens line, behind the flight from Mali. Membership has its privileges.
Fourth of July. Not a big holiday here. I worked. But I felt patriotic. Or something. We had a few friends over on Sunday evening for a bbq in the back yard. It was actually nice and didn't rain, which is good, as we've had more than a few bbqs sitting under umbrellas. We have quite a number of fireworks left over from Guy Fawkes day, last November, but decided against setting them off in our very small back yard, as we thought it might be a little awkward explaining to the neighbs why we set their back yards on fire. Oh well.
OK - some pics.
This is the new, 1000 ft tall "Shard", being built behind City Hall (aka "The Bollock").
Thames at sundown, from Waterloo Bridge, looking towards The City.
David in the weed patch, which is now actually blooming, and which a friend referred to as our "cottage garden". How charitable! Will get flower pics soon...
A rainbow, looking out from the front door.
A face only a mother could love?
David and Robin would kill me about this pic - but this is them watching something on 3D-TV. It just gives me a headache...
Rob and Frank, sitting outside Costa Coffee on Old Compton Street, on their brief foray over from Berlin!
Robin giving death rays to someone's dog in a pub.
Sundown on Northway, just around the corner from our house.
Telephone wires coming from a rather ancient pole.
Oh, I almost forgot - I had a very strange dream last night - strange even for me. First off, and I think I've said this before, I get recurring dream themes. I get water dreams when I am feeling overwhelmed (not as overwhelmed as fire) and I've been having dreams of trying to take public transportation to absurd places lately, which I link to feeling like I'm stuck in my job (in the public sector). So, last night I had a dream that I was on a large ferry. Only on this ferry, we were all strapped in like in a roller coaster, and loaded onto these sort of ferris wheels - cars, people, etc (don't ask, it was my dream). Anyway, I thought this was a bit odd, but whatever. So, then it's time for the ferry to leave, only, instead of lumbering out of the dock as one might normally expect of a ferry, it catapulted out at hundreds of miles per hours, into the air (suppose this was why we were strapped in). As it flew out of the dock, out of nowhere started playing the theme tune - Copacabana (which, incidentally, I heard last night, so at least that made sense). And then David was shaking me awake, telling me to turn my stupid alarm off. To think I nearly made it across the great body of water in the supersonic ferry, only to be thwarted by my alarm.
Typical.
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