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January 1st, 2010
12:21 am - Winter War Index
Index of Winter War posts.
( Below the cut. )
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November 23rd, 2009
02:09 am - I can hear the rain outside when cars go by
Lovely quiet day. Rained outside. Was inside, so did not care.
Finished glove for one coworker. Must show it to her to check it fits before starting on second glove. (Maintain vigorously that this is not just to get some cheap gratification rather than making the second glove and giving her both gloves at once.)
Meeting tomorrow. Sigh.
Also, if I really want to attend Dragonmeet, should get train tickets asap.
---
'Put it behind us and move on' is a political term used meaning, "I've done something I ought to be thoroughly ashamed of, if not actually prosecuted with the full force of the law, so I wish to push the issue away before people start looking too hard."
-- A Collegiate Casting-Out of Devilish Devices, Pratchett
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November 22nd, 2009
01:09 am - gloating behind closed doors
Overslept a little, but got to the Knitting & Stitching Show in plenty of time, and had an absolutely marvellous afternoon.
Spent a bit more than I should have, but not as much as I could have, so I will not feel too guilty. Got yarn. And some beads.
But really, one of the nicest things about the show (besides all the work to see, and the display stands, and the soul-inspiring silks and cashmere and quilting and lace and so on) is the sheer enthusiasm everyone has, and the way they admire your purchases as well as their own. One is not made to feel strange for oohing and aahing and gloating. It's rather comforting. :)
---
And, of course, there was Dr Hix, a good man to have in a tight spot because he was (by college statute) an officially bad person, in accordance with UU's happy grasp of the inevitable.*
A less mature organization than UU might have taken the view that the way forward would be to hunt such renegades down, at great risk and expense. UU, on the other hand, had given Hix and his team a department and a budget and a career structure, and also the chance to go out into dark caves occasionally and throw fireballs at unofficial evil wizards; it all worked rather well so long as nobody pointed out that the Department of Post-Mortem Communications was really, when you got right down to it, just a politer form of n*e*c*r*o*m*a*n*c*y, wasn't it?
And so Dr Hix was now tolerated as a useful, if slightly irritating member of the Council largely because he was allowed (by statute) to say some of the naughty things that the other wizards would really have liked to say themselves. Someone with a widow's peak, a skull ring, a sinister staff and a black robe was expected to spread a little evil around the place, although university statute had redefined acceptable evil in this case as being inconveniences on a par with shoelaces tied together or a brief attack of groinal itch. It wasn't the most satisfactory of arrangements, but it was in the best UU tradition: Hix occupied, amiably, a niche that might otherwise be occupied by someone who really got off on the whole mouldering corpses and peeled skulls thing. Admittedly, he was always giving fellow wizards free tickets to the various amateur dramatic productions he was obsessively involved with, but, on balance, they agreed, taking one thing with another, this was still better than peeled skulls.
*In short, every wizard knew that, whatever you did, you'd get some wizards creeping off to do weird and messy magic in some cave somewhere.
-- Unseen Academicals, Pratchett
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November 21st, 2009
10:20 pm - New Winter War entry: Isane
New Winter War post up from ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) liralen:
Isane: Present
(Previous entries at Index.)
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01:10 am - Justice!
I dearly love Ten Winds.
http://keychain.patternspider.net/archive/koc0004.html
(This makes more sense if you know the Exalted rpg. Actually, it doesn't really make any sense unless you know the Exalted rpg.)
Hard-working and useful day in which much was achieved at work. The fact that it went overtime is . . . well, isn't it nice that it's Saturday tomorrow and I'm probably going to spend money on yarn and stuff.
And that I don't have to get up to be at work for 9am.
---
MISHO : Ten, I thought you were asleep already.
TEN WINDS : Don't worry, I can drink my way back to unconsciousness.
-- KEychain of Creation
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November 20th, 2009
01:44 am - the hamadryad
Have to go down to London for a meeting next week. Should be interesting. Must make sure to get enough sleep first.
Yes, this is a reference to how I need to stop myself staying up too late.
Almost the weekend. I think I am suffering from slight post-holiday depression. Probably to be expected. I will try not to go too overboard on Saturday at the Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate in consequence.
---
H is for HAMADRYAD
The Oxford English Dictionary has three definitions of hamadryad. The first is: a wood nymph that lives and dies in her tree. The second is: a venomous, hooded serpent of India. The third definition is improbable. None of them mentions the mythic origins of the word. The tree in which the Serpent lived was the hamadryad. Eve was poisoned. The wood of which the cross was made was the hamadryasd. Jesus did not rise, he never died. The ark was composed of cubits of lumber cut from the hamadryad. You will find no sign of the vessel on top of Mt Ararat. It sank. Toothpicks in Chinese restaurants should be avoided at all costs.
-- Harlan Ellison
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01:20 am - Winter War: new post
New Winter War post up from sophiap:
Iba: Hurry Up And Wait
(Previous entries at Index.)
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November 19th, 2009
01:57 am - brr
Meeting at work today went well, and work in general got done thoroughly, but ow, I am tired.
The weather has been wet. The trains are messed up: several coworkers who get into work by train were late today. Fortunately (ahem) I walk into work, so I need fear nothing except getting wet.
It's cold in the evenings. There has been a distinct downshift between pre-holiday and post-holiday. I now have the radiators on and a rug over my legs.
Haven't got the big blanket out yet, though.
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The Rolling English Road
Before the Roman came to Rye or out to Severn strode,
The rolling English drunkard made the rolling English road.
A reeling road, a rolling road, that rambles round the shire,
And after him the parson ran, the sexton and the squire;
A merry road, a mazy road, and such as we did tread
The night we went to Birmingham by way of Beachy Head.
I knew no harm of Bonaparte and plenty of the Squire,
And for to fight the Frenchman I did not much desire;
But I did bash their baggonets because they came arrayed
To straighten out the crooked road an English drunkard made,
Where you and I went down the lane with ale-mugs in our hands,
The night we went to Glastonbury by way of Goodwin Sands.
His sins they were forgiven him; or why do flowers run
Behind him; and the hedges all strengthening in the sun?
The wild thing went from left to right and knew not which was which,
But the wild rose was above him when they found him in the ditch.
God pardon us, nor harden us; we did not see so clear
The night we went to Bannockburn by way of Brighton Pier.
My friends, we will not go again or ape an ancient rage,
Or stretch the folly of our youth to be the shame of age,
But walk with clearer eyes and ears this path that wandereth,
And see undrugged in evening light the decent inn of death;
For there is good news yet to hear and fine things to be seen,
Before we go to Paradise by way of Kensal Green.
-- Gilbert Keith Chesterton
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November 18th, 2009
02:29 am - Peeps peeping
Work went reasonably well. I did not have to spend all morning coping with email. Just most of it. ;)
The American candies I brought back went down well and will probably keep going down well for the rest of the weeks, though I note that enthusiasm for the Peeps is waning. Generally among those who tried eating them. (I did bring back some decent candies, really, but I couldn't resist the temptation to bring back a few Peeps from an urge to educate and inform.)
Finished the ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif) springkink prompt and posted, only a day late. Virtue is mine. Belatedly.
Plan to try to make stitch markers. We will see how this goes.
---
Happiness
So early it's still almost dark out.
I'm near the window with coffee,
and the usual early morning stuff
that passes for thought.
When I see the boy and his friend
walking up the road
to deliver the newspaper.
They wear caps and sweaters,
and one boy has a bag over his shoulder.
They are so happy
they aren't saying anything, these boys.
I think if they could, they would take
each other's arm.
It's early in the morning,
and they are doing this thing together.
They come on, slowly.
The sky is taking on light,
though the moon still hangs pale over the water.
Such beauty that for a minute
death and ambition, even love,
doesn't enter into this.
Happiness. It comes on
unexpectedly. And goes beyond, really,
any early morning talk about it.
-- Raymond Carver
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November 17th, 2009
01:54 am - wishes
Well, I did stay home from work today, and I had a quiet day, and I did some cleaning, and some shopping, and started a pair of gloves for a coworker, and tomorrow I am back to work again.
May I be optimistic. May I work hard. And may I not find too many things on my plate.
(Also, I am late on a springkink prompt. Oh, the shame.)
---
Variations on the Word "Sleep"
I would like to watch you sleeping,
which may not happen.
I would like to watch you,
sleeping. I would like to sleep
with you, to enter
your sleep as its smooth dark wave
slides over my head
and walk with you through that lucent
wavering forest of bluegreen leaves
with its watery sun & three moons
towards the cave where you must descend,
towards your worst fear
I would like to give you the silver
branch, the small white flower, the one
word that will protect you
from the grief at the center
of your dream, from the grief
at the center. I would like to follow
you up the long stairway
again & become
the boat that would row you back
carefully, a flame
in two cupped hands
to where your body lies
beside me, and you enter
it as easily as breathing in
I would like to be the air
that inhabits you for a moment
only. I would like to be that unnoticed
& that necessary.
-- Margaret Atwood
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November 15th, 2009
11:55 pm - back home again
Managed to sleep quite reasonably on the flight from Boston to Amsterdam. Had coffee at Amsterdam, so did not sleep on Amsterdam-Manchester flight, but since it was only a short one, no great matter.
Now home safely.
It was a marvellous holiday.
Very grateful to joasakura and archangelbeth. Love you both. Sniff.
Thank goodness I have tomorrow off to recover from jetlag.
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08:02 pm - Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars
Just finished watching.
This does not bode well.
Though in a way it is extremely consistent (and a good way to take) the "lonely god" concept.
And as for the trailer -- well, this does look interesting.
(And it was a very very very good episode.)
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November 14th, 2009
12:59 pm - back home soon
In a few hours, I will be heading for the airport, to catch the plane, to get back home, to milk the cow, that kicked the dog, that chased the cat, that . . . er, that is, to get back home.
It has been a wonderful and very relaxing holiday.
Sniff.
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November 8th, 2009
07:42 pm - a little update
Since I have been too lazy dilatory distracted to keep this journal up to date . . .
Life is being beautifully quiet. I am enjoying good food, knitting, and watching anime. archangelbeth</a> and I have now watched through the whole of Princess Tutu, and she thoroughly enjoyed it. (I had seen it before, and was keeping my mouth firmly shut at a number of points. If you know that series, you'll know why.)
She has also finished crocheting a shawl for me, which is beautiful. Photos will follow at some point. (I am currently knitting a shawl for her.)
I also showed her a production of The Mikado yesterday. (It was the version with Eric Idle as Ko-Ko.) She enjoyed it. A lot.
Unfortunately, she is currently upstairs with a headache. Since inflicting my presence on someone with a headache seems a less than brilliant idea, I am down here checking up on my email.
(We have also finished case 2 of Phoenix Wright: Justice For All, the one with Morgan and Pearl and Ini Miney. I plan to jump to case 4, in the hopes of finishing it before I leave. After all, case 3 is entertaining, but not as good as case 4.)
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November 3rd, 2009
06:46 pm - enjoying self
Had lovely day today, including excellent brunch, book sale at library, playing Phoenix Wright: Justice For All with Beth (Franziska von Karma has just come on stage) and generally being delightfully lazy. Mm.
Body-clock has no idea what time it is. Will probably settle just in time for me to go back home to England. Ah well.
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November 2nd, 2009
08:20 pm - safely traversed
Had excellent if very tiring Yaoi-con. Am now safely at Beth's and relaxing nicely.
Thanks to all whom I met at Yaoi-con. Take care and enjoy yourselves!
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October 28th, 2009
10:31 pm - whee!
So, in half an hour:
Taxi
->
Railway station
->
Airport
->
America.
Will be updating this regularly and checking email, but otherwise -- here I go for the next two and a half weeks. :)
Take care, all.
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02:32 am - for some reason I seem a little distracted
Well, I was going to try to get some writing done this evening, but for some reason I seem to have problems concentrating. :)
Things to do tomorrow:
Clean bathroom
Hoover
Last-minute shopping
Recharge phone and DS
Pack
Catch taxi at 11pm to airport.
Fingers crossed I haven't forgotten anything -- or that if I have, I remember in time.
---
The Lama
The one-l lama,
He's a priest.
The two-l llama,
He's a beast.
And I will bet
A silk pajama
There isn't any
Three-l lllama.
-- Ogden Nash
(to which Nash appended the footnote: "The author's attention has been called to a type of conflagration known as a three-alarmer. Pooh.")
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October 27th, 2009
12:38 am - getting there
Today was busy. Tomorrow will probably be moreso, as I try to clear all my work, or at least as much of it as I can.
Must focus. Must not get too demob-happy yet. Heh.
---
The Consecration Of Coffee
to Archbishop Oscar A. Romero
One day of god
drinking coffee in my patio
nothing is normal--
not the calla
with its penis of gold
nor the iris
like purple lava
a volcano spills.
I find in the depths of the cup
chasubles embroidered
with black moths
& red stains--
the sun fires
a scintillation of silver bullets
& of candles drowned--
there is blood in its shine.
I place the cup on its saucer
with a most tender care
as if it were a chalice
& say the litany:
Guatemala
Nicaragua
El Salvador
& one side of my heart
tastes white & sweet
like cane sugar
& the other,
like coffee,
bitter & black.
-- Rafael Jesús González
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October 26th, 2009
01:52 am - subdued expressions of wild enthusiasm
Back to work tomorrow, and two days to go till vacation.
Whee!
Larger exclamations will follow as we get closer to the date.
---
Coffee In Heaven
You'll be greeted
by a nice cup of coffee
when you get to heaven
and strains of angelic harmony.
But wouldn't you be devastated
if they only serve decaffeinated
while from the percolators of hell
your soul was assaulted
by Satan's fresh espresso smell?
-- John Agard
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