spring
Things. Well. I am moving departments in a week. I would say it's gone quickly, if it were not for the fact it has taken several eternities. I am finally, a week from finishing, getting to grips with things. (I have rather a big project of my own to undertake - which, if you shaded it on a map of the UK, would show up at all reasonable scales, which freaks me out rather - which for various reasons must be done and dusted in the next couple of weeks. "We have to be on top of things," my supervisor told me one morning before I'd taken my boots off.
"Don't worry, we're on top of things," I said.
"No," she said, darkly, "you're on top of things" - which cheered me up rather.)
On Friday night we had a pub quiz for Macmillan (a thoroughly fabulous idea, incidentally - enormous fun and we made more than £200) which the Caped Crusader and I won, resoundingly. Unfortunately the prize was a round of drinks and my planned sensible evening went the way of all flesh. By the end of it I was staring through the bottle where the white wine used to be, and one of chaps I work with gave me a kiss on the cheek and lovingly informed me that the entire department is as scared of my supervisor as I am. "Why couldn't you have told me that SIX MONTHS AGO!" I shrieked, and was poured gently into the good night.
While I will not miss the stress, disorganisation and general bone-deep anxiety of my current job, I will miss the people. I work with the sort of people who bring me coffee without asking and leave sweets on my keyboard. And threaten to SIM the moon, which is the sort of thing that's very funny if you're me and you've been doing my job for six months.
On Monday I move to contentious intellectual property, just in time for me to start volunteering for OTW legal. I am very interested in, but almost entirely ignorant about, the DMCA. The thing is, I'm bound to be - and although the team do claim they need non-US lawyers, I am, myself, doubtful. Nevertheless, I've volunteered. I doubt I'll be of any use, but I've volunteered. The thing is, I am such a useless lawyer - my academic interests are in philosophy and jurisprudence, my net experience thus far is of obscure ways of holding land - that I almost wish I weren't one, where these things are concerned. People hear "lawyer" and think, well, not of me. We'll see, I guess.
On Saturday morning bright and early, Shim and
elb and I went to Oxford for the Taruithorn Banquet, which this year was sparkling as all years, full of good company and wine and origami birds. I met many old friends, spent lots of time giggling with
brightlywoven, danced and served plates and ate a lot of food and had a lovely time. As usual, we went there for two in the afternoon and didn't leave until midnight. We left the car a few streets away and as Shim and I were walking down to the community centre, cealdis waved at us out of a car window and shouted, "We're going to buy blowtorches!"
"Ah," Shim said, "We're home."
And we were, too. I miss Oxford, I really do, just because it will always be home to me in some way. Yesterday the sky was blue and the sunlight was sparkling and it's really the loveliest place on earth, when it wants to be.
This week I have to work late a lot and not sleep much, I suspect. (My supervisor again, at nine o'clock this morning: "I am demented enough without your assistance!") I am still keeping on, and feeling better than I did a month ago, though. Sort-of-excited sort-of-scared about new things, which is how things ought to be, and looking forward to the spring. There will be weddings, and sunshine, new people, and also new Fringe. Hurrah.
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comment(s). Comment there or here.
"Don't worry, we're on top of things," I said.
"No," she said, darkly, "you're on top of things" - which cheered me up rather.)
On Friday night we had a pub quiz for Macmillan (a thoroughly fabulous idea, incidentally - enormous fun and we made more than £200) which the Caped Crusader and I won, resoundingly. Unfortunately the prize was a round of drinks and my planned sensible evening went the way of all flesh. By the end of it I was staring through the bottle where the white wine used to be, and one of chaps I work with gave me a kiss on the cheek and lovingly informed me that the entire department is as scared of my supervisor as I am. "Why couldn't you have told me that SIX MONTHS AGO!" I shrieked, and was poured gently into the good night.
While I will not miss the stress, disorganisation and general bone-deep anxiety of my current job, I will miss the people. I work with the sort of people who bring me coffee without asking and leave sweets on my keyboard. And threaten to SIM the moon, which is the sort of thing that's very funny if you're me and you've been doing my job for six months.
On Monday I move to contentious intellectual property, just in time for me to start volunteering for OTW legal. I am very interested in, but almost entirely ignorant about, the DMCA. The thing is, I'm bound to be - and although the team do claim they need non-US lawyers, I am, myself, doubtful. Nevertheless, I've volunteered. I doubt I'll be of any use, but I've volunteered. The thing is, I am such a useless lawyer - my academic interests are in philosophy and jurisprudence, my net experience thus far is of obscure ways of holding land - that I almost wish I weren't one, where these things are concerned. People hear "lawyer" and think, well, not of me. We'll see, I guess.
On Saturday morning bright and early, Shim and
elb and I went to Oxford for the Taruithorn Banquet, which this year was sparkling as all years, full of good company and wine and origami birds. I met many old friends, spent lots of time giggling with
brightlywoven, danced and served plates and ate a lot of food and had a lovely time. As usual, we went there for two in the afternoon and didn't leave until midnight. We left the car a few streets away and as Shim and I were walking down to the community centre, cealdis waved at us out of a car window and shouted, "We're going to buy blowtorches!"
"Ah," Shim said, "We're home."
And we were, too. I miss Oxford, I really do, just because it will always be home to me in some way. Yesterday the sky was blue and the sunlight was sparkling and it's really the loveliest place on earth, when it wants to be.
This week I have to work late a lot and not sleep much, I suspect. (My supervisor again, at nine o'clock this morning: "I am demented enough without your assistance!") I am still keeping on, and feeling better than I did a month ago, though. Sort-of-excited sort-of-scared about new things, which is how things ought to be, and looking forward to the spring. There will be weddings, and sunshine, new people, and also new Fringe. Hurrah.
raven is also at Dreamwidth: there is or are
comment(s). Comment there or here.