Cycling, painting, working, singing (badly)
Had a great weekend doing a temp job at St Catherine’s College. They were hosting the Centre for the Study of African Economies’ annual conference. I can’t tell you how inspiring it was, sitting on the desk doing registration and handing out badges to people from Africa, China, Europe, Australia, NZ, India, working everywhere from Oxford University to African universities to the World Bank to charities to aid organisations, all these 250 freaky-smart people coming together for three days to discuss how to improve life in Africa, deciding policies and programmes that would actually make the world better. It was amazing, and so exciting to see it happening.
I’m loving my Bodleian job - I made it to 310 books processed in a 2.45hr shift today! I’ve been trying to hit 300 for weeks but my scanner kept breaking or I’d finish a section and lose ten minutes etc. Cycling to work in the early morning is so exhilarating as well, sailing past the traffic down Banbury Rd in the fresh spring sunshine (or rain) under the ancient trees, using my body for what it was meant for - getting from A to B - rather than sitting in an office in high heels. (Although now I cycle in high heels, so yay! Best of both worlds! And it means you have a more pleasant day, because if your shoes are sore you just cycle around rather than walking. Genius!)
Then tonight Steve bought me the first season of Glee as a surprise and we watched the first episode together. A great concession, as he’s been a little prone to ridicule on that point (as I wait like a junkie for each weekly episode). But, like olives, feta, and mustard in small doses, he is changing his tastes under my gentle wifely pressure. He will come to love Maltesers one of these years. Oh yes, he will. And I knew he liked Glee, because while I went off to cook dinner (belting out The Muttonbirds’ In My Room and Tom Petty Free Falling) he turned up Counting Crows Up All Night.
As I brought him dinner, I said “You’re listening to music.”
“I know, I’m inspired,” he said.
“And do you know why you’re inspired?” I asked sweetly.
“Because I watched Glee,” he admitted, taking his medicine like a man.
And then we ate dinner and played Duelling iTunes, the rules of which are simple and finite. You alternate, each picking one song, which you listen to all the way through. The aim is to get the other person to spontaneously say “Good choice!” and rock out a bit, or air-drum. The interesting thing about Duelling iTunes is that you can’t sit down and say “Let’s play Duelling iTunes,” because that won’t work. It has to be spontaneous. And the choice is very instinctive - when you see the song, you know. So here’s the list so far, although I think Steve’s lost interest because he’s got his guitar and million pedals out and is looping things.
S - My Sweet Carolina, Ryan Adams
C - Rosanna, Toto
S - Telegraph Rd, Dire Straits
C - They Don’t Care About Us, Michael Jackson
S - Viva la Vida, Coldplay
C - Not Given Lightly, Chris Knox
I could have killed the game with that last choice, come to think about it. Should have gone with my first instinct - I’ll Never Get Tired of You, Kings X. Live and learn.
Oh, and here's a painting I just finished, after starting it eight months ago. Ah well. Better late.
I’m loving my Bodleian job - I made it to 310 books processed in a 2.45hr shift today! I’ve been trying to hit 300 for weeks but my scanner kept breaking or I’d finish a section and lose ten minutes etc. Cycling to work in the early morning is so exhilarating as well, sailing past the traffic down Banbury Rd in the fresh spring sunshine (or rain) under the ancient trees, using my body for what it was meant for - getting from A to B - rather than sitting in an office in high heels. (Although now I cycle in high heels, so yay! Best of both worlds! And it means you have a more pleasant day, because if your shoes are sore you just cycle around rather than walking. Genius!)
Then tonight Steve bought me the first season of Glee as a surprise and we watched the first episode together. A great concession, as he’s been a little prone to ridicule on that point (as I wait like a junkie for each weekly episode). But, like olives, feta, and mustard in small doses, he is changing his tastes under my gentle wifely pressure. He will come to love Maltesers one of these years. Oh yes, he will. And I knew he liked Glee, because while I went off to cook dinner (belting out The Muttonbirds’ In My Room and Tom Petty Free Falling) he turned up Counting Crows Up All Night.
As I brought him dinner, I said “You’re listening to music.”
“I know, I’m inspired,” he said.
“And do you know why you’re inspired?” I asked sweetly.
“Because I watched Glee,” he admitted, taking his medicine like a man.
And then we ate dinner and played Duelling iTunes, the rules of which are simple and finite. You alternate, each picking one song, which you listen to all the way through. The aim is to get the other person to spontaneously say “Good choice!” and rock out a bit, or air-drum. The interesting thing about Duelling iTunes is that you can’t sit down and say “Let’s play Duelling iTunes,” because that won’t work. It has to be spontaneous. And the choice is very instinctive - when you see the song, you know. So here’s the list so far, although I think Steve’s lost interest because he’s got his guitar and million pedals out and is looping things.
S - My Sweet Carolina, Ryan Adams
C - Rosanna, Toto
S - Telegraph Rd, Dire Straits
C - They Don’t Care About Us, Michael Jackson
S - Viva la Vida, Coldplay
C - Not Given Lightly, Chris Knox
I could have killed the game with that last choice, come to think about it. Should have gone with my first instinct - I’ll Never Get Tired of You, Kings X. Live and learn.
Oh, and here's a painting I just finished, after starting it eight months ago. Ah well. Better late.